plural cherries
1
a
: any of numerous trees and shrubs (genus Prunus) of the rose family that bear pale yellow to deep red or blackish smooth-skinned drupes enclosing a smooth seed and that include some cultivated for their fruits or ornamental flowers compare sour cherry, sweet cherry
b
: the fruit of a cherry
c
: the reddish-brown wood of a cherry
especially
: black cherry sense 2
2
: a variable color averaging a moderate red
4
informal
: the burning end of a lit cigarette or cigar
I'm horrified: Dag is burning holes in the roof of the car with the cherry of his cigarette.—
Douglas Coupland
Douglas Coupland"Oh lord. Be quiet and maybe he won't find me. Put out your cigarette, Ryder, he'll see the cherry."—Julie Buntin
Julie BuntinExamples of cherry in a Sentence
The kitchen cabinets are made of cherry.
Recent Examples on the Web
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday before the verdict was revealed, Torrez discussed Meta’s argument that the prosecutors cherry picked certain materials to paint an unfair picture about the company, and that Meta has been updating its various apps with safety features.
—Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
But the cherry blossoms were weeping over the edge of the canals, so the whole thing was spectacular.
—Matt Bomer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Lee is headed on a big family trip to Tokyo and Seoul, just in time for cherry blossom season.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
The cherry blossom trees are expected to reach peak bloom, when more than 70% of blooms are open, between March 29 and April 1, the National Park Service (NPS) says.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cherry
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 24 Mar. 2026
But the cherry blossoms were weeping over the edge of the canals, so the whole thing was spectacular.
—Matt Bomer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Lee is headed on a big family trip to Tokyo and Seoul, just in time for cherry blossom season.
—Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 24 Mar. 2026
The cherry blossom trees are expected to reach peak bloom, when more than 70% of blooms are open, between March 29 and April 1, the National Park Service (NPS) says.
—Chandelis Duster, NPR, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cherry
Cite this Entry
“Cherry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cherry. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cherry
noun
cher·ry
ˈcher-ē 
plural cherries
1
a
: any of numerous trees and shrubs that are related to the roses and have rather small pale yellow to deep blackish red smooth-skinned fruits
b
: the fruit of a cherry
c
: the reddish brown wood of a cherry
2
: a medium red
Etymology
Middle English chery "a cherry," from early French cherise "the cherry" (mistaken as being a plural), derived from Latin cerasus "cherry tree"
Medical Definition
cherry
noun
cher·ry
ˈcher-ē
plural cherries
1
: any of numerous trees and shrubs (genus Prunus) of the rose family that bear pale yellow to deep red or blackish smooth-skinned drupes enclosing a smooth seed and that belong to any of several varieties including some cultivated for their fruits or ornamental flowers
2
: the fruit of a cherry
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
