cider

noun

ci·​der ˈsī-dər How to pronounce cider (audio)
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 All guests receive free food and drinks, including a charcuterie box and water bottle, and a champagne or sparkling cider toast upon boarding, Roberts said. Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024 Enjoy the vintage cider press, gold panning, machine demos, hayrides, food trucks, hay maze, sack races and more. Sarah Kuta, The Denver Post, 1 Oct. 2024 The drink might be cider, but the experience perfectly blends Norwegian culture, history, and outdoor adventure. Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Apple Haus is the main draw for cider doughnuts in the Northern suburbs. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 29 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cider 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cider.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cider was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near cider

Cite this Entry

“Cider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cider. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

cider

noun
ci·​der ˈsīd-ər How to pronounce cider (audio)
: the juice pressed out of fruit (as apples) and used especially as a drink and in the making of vinegar

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