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
That could be the cherry on top of the sundae for the Oilers, who seem to have the Stars figured out in almost every way.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Top-notch casting is the cherry on top, with Lily James as the supremely likable Cinderella, Richard Madden as her down-to-earth prince, Cate Blanchett as the detestable stepmother with her own imperfect backstory, and Helena Bonham Carter as one lovably flighty fairy godmother.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
The cheesecake is also garnished with fresh summer cherries, which pardon the pun, really is the cherry on top.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
The Tequila is aromatic and complex on the nose, featuring roasted agave notes of vanilla and caramel, dried and candied fruit—especially cherry—herbal green agave, and toasted oak notes with a slight minerality.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cherry
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Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Top-notch casting is the cherry on top, with Lily James as the supremely likable Cinderella, Richard Madden as her down-to-earth prince, Cate Blanchett as the detestable stepmother with her own imperfect backstory, and Helena Bonham Carter as one lovably flighty fairy godmother.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 26 May 2025
The cheesecake is also garnished with fresh summer cherries, which pardon the pun, really is the cherry on top.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 May 2025
The Tequila is aromatic and complex on the nose, featuring roasted agave notes of vanilla and caramel, dried and candied fruit—especially cherry—herbal green agave, and toasted oak notes with a slight minerality.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cherry
Cite this Entry
“Cherry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cherry. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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
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