cherry
noun
the fruit of any of various trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, consisting of a pulpy, globular drupe enclosing a one-seeded smooth stone.
cherry
1 American
[cher-ee]
/ ˈtʃɛr i /
noun
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cherries
plural
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the fruit of any of various trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, consisting of a pulpy, globular drupe enclosing a one-seeded smooth stone.
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the tree bearing such a fruit.
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the wood of such a tree.
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any of various fruits or plants resembling the cherry.
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bright red; cerise.
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Slang: Often Vulgar.
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the hymen.
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the state of virginity.
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Slang.
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something new or unused.
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a novice.
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Underworld Slang. a first offender.
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Bowling. the striking down of only the forward pin or pins in attempting to make a spare.
adjective
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bright-red; cerise.
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(of food and beverages) made with or containing cherries or cherrylike flavoring.
cherry pie; cherry soda.
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(of furniture, woodwork, etc.) made of or covered or decorated with wood from the cherry tree.
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Slang: Often Vulgar. being a virgin.
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Slang.
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new or unused.
a three-year-old car in cherry condition.
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inexperienced; being an innocent novice.
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Cherry
2
American
[cher-ee]
/ ˈtʃɛr i /
noun
cherry
British
/ ˈtʃɛrɪ /
noun
-
any of several trees of the rosaceous genus Prunus, such as P. avium ( sweet cherry ), having a small fleshy rounded fruit containing a hard stone See also bird cherry
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the fruit or wood of any of these trees
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any of various unrelated plants, such as the ground cherry and Jerusalem cherry
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a bright red colour; cerise
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( as adjective )
a cherry coat
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slang virginity or the hymen as its symbol
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(modifier) of or relating to the cherry fruit or wood
cherry tart
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cherry
1300–50; Middle English cheri variant of chirie, back formation from Old English ciris- (taken for plural) ≪ Vulgar Latin *ceresium for *cerasium ( Latin cerasum ) < Greek kerásion cherry
Explanation
A cherry is a beautiful flowering tree, and it's also the name of the small, red fruit that grows on it. If you learn to bake a perfect cherry pie, you will become a legend among your dessert-loving friends. Ripe cherries are deep red and exquisitely sweet, with small inedible pits. Cherry is an almost universally loved flavor, from cherry danishes and cherry lollipops to the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae. Cherry is also used to describe a bright red color. The word itself comes from a Greek root, kerasos, which means "cherry tree," and also refers to a region of ancient Greece historians believe first exported cherries to Europe.
Vocabulary lists containing cherry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It feels stark now, our choices: We picked the yard with the ornamental cherry tree over the proximity of a friend who can run over when our baby is struggling to breathe at 3 a.m.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
But an Oscar would be, as he puts it, “the cherry on top of the cake” — not the cake itself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
It’s for these reasons that tart cherry juice is thought to help reduce muscle damage and soreness.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
The pineapple is sharp, the cherry is rich, and the snozzberries would probably taste like snozzberries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
The cupcake was missing, along with the chocolate-covered cherry.
From "Secrets at Sea" by Richard Peck
In 2023, the former NFL star reportedly paid $5.3 million for a second property near his Cherry Hills Village mansion.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 22, 2026
To explore the relationship between lifestyle choices and emotional resilience, Begdache worked with Jason Cherry, a former Binghamton assistant professor of physical therapy, and former student Alexander J. Talkachov.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
But they also indicate an eagerness to learn, a will that makes Mona’s eventual callback after Serena Cherry drops out of the show seem almost like manifestation.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
A second guitar, Marr's 1960 Cherry Red Gibson ES-355, sold for £204,800.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
I met Cherry at Sbarro for a slice.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Once, he found a jar of cherries, which they shared for breakfast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Adding foods like blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans, and cherries to your daily diet, especially when paired with green tea, could be a simple way to support heart health, according to new research.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026
Berries, peaches, cherries, plums — anything that can be washed at home and eaten out of hand.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
Eating blueberries, plums, blackberries, broad beans and cherries, washed down with green tea, is an ideal way to top them up, they say.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026
An hour later, Dee is washing and prepping the strawberries and cherries while Jorge melts dark chocolate in a double boiler.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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