cider

noun

ci·der | \ ˈsī-dər

Definition of cider

1 : fermented apple juice often made sparkling by carbonation or fermentation in a sealed container

2 : the expressed juice of fruit (such as apples) used as a beverage or for making other products (such as applejack)

Examples of cider in a Sentence

a cup of apple cider

Recent Examples on the Web

Add cider, mustard and thyme and vigorously simmer until slightly thickened and glistening, 5 to 6 minutes. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Mustard Glazed Pork Chops," 21 Dec. 2018 In one romantic scene, the two whip up some homemade apple cider at a cozy locale owned by Gretchen's aunt, called the Silverpine Inn. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "Hallmark's 'Christmas Made to Order' Was Filmed in This Cozy Bed and Breakfast," 23 Dec. 2018 Ingredients: 4 oz sparkling apple cider (such as Duche de Longueville) 2 parts fresh pink grapefruit juice 1 part cinnamon syrup ½ oz fresh lime juice. — Talia Abbas, SELF, "How to Throw a Laid-Back Holiday Party at Home, from the Team at A Summer Day Cafe," 6 Dec. 2018 In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, pear, orange zest, and sugar; stir in the apple cider. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Cranberry Sauce with Pears," 3 Oct. 2013 Winter’s warming drinks—hot coffee, hot cocoa, mulled cider, peppermint tea—are also potential triggers. — Nadia Berenstein, SELF, "Holiday Parties Bring Out the Worst of My Rosacea," 19 Dec. 2018 In a medium high-sided saucepan, bring cider to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. — Woman's Day Test Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Apple Cider Caramel Sauce," 25 Oct. 2018 By most measures, Washington ranks among the top five cider-producing states. — Providence Cicero, The Seattle Times, "Destination Dining: Finnriver Farm & Cidery," 25 Sep. 2018 Meanwhile, bring cider to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. — Kate Merker, Country Living, "Roasted Butternut Squash with Cider Vinaigrette," 21 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cider.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for cider

Middle English sider, sedyr, cidre "alcoholic drink (in Biblical translations and references), cider," borrowed from Anglo-French sizre, ciser, cydre, going back to Gallo-Romance *cīsera, by metathesis form of Late Latin (Vulgate) sīcera "alcoholic drink," borrowed from Greek (Septuagint) síkera, borrowed from Hebrew shēkhār, from a Semitic base š-k-r, whence Hebrew shākhar "become drunk," Arabic sikara

Note: The medieval French form sizre is attested once, in the 12th-century Cambridge, or Eadwine Psalter, where it appears as a translation of the Latin siceram in Psalm 68:14 (the Vulgate has vinum in this passage). (For other medieval outcomes and modern dialect forms see Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, v. 11, pp. 589-90.) Presumably *cīs(ĕ)ra yielded *tsizdra, which with loss of the internal sibilant yielded cidre (see Pierre Fouché, Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3 [Paris: Klincksieck, 1966], p. 822). Latin sīcera and its vernacular outcomes were likely disseminated and applied to the fermented juice of fruit, especially apples, in monasteries, particularly in non-wine-producing areas of Europe such as Normandy; Norman localization would also account for the thorough penetration of the word into Anglo-French.