cere

¹ American  

[seer] / sɪər /

noun

Ornithology.

1. a fleshy, membranous covering of the base of the upper mandible of a bird, especially a bird of prey or a parrot, through which the nostrils open.

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cere ² American  

[seer] / sɪər /

verb (used with object)

cered, cering

1. Archaic. to wrap in or as if in a cerecloth, especially a corpse.

2. Obsolete. to wax.

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cere ¹ British  

/ sɪə /

noun

1. a soft waxy swelling, containing the nostrils, at the base of the upper beak in such birds as the parrot

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cere ² British  

/ sɪə /

verb

1. (tr) to wrap (a corpse) in a cerecloth

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Other Word Forms

• cered
  adjective
• cereless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cere¹

1480–90; earlier sere, spelling variant of *cere < Medieval Latin cēra literally, wax < Latin

Origin of cere²

1375–1425; late Middle English ceren < Latin cērāre to wax, verbal derivative of cēra wax

Example Sentences

Cooper’s cere date also fell on a Friday the 13th as well, but the actor wrote the date as the 14th in hopes of avoiding anything suspicious.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2017

The cere, if you don't know, is a pale, soft mass of tissue at the base of the bill.

From Scientific American • Jun. 29, 2015

Note that the green-necked bird has a larger, more bulbous cere than the red-necked one.

From Scientific American • Jun. 29, 2015

"The tone of the opening cere monies is going to be majesty, in spiration and emotion," Producer Wolper had said.

From Time Magazine Archive

That you may live long to continue your useful labors, and reap the reward in the thankfulness of nations, is my sin cere prayer.

From Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers Reprinted From an English Work, Entitled "Half-Hours With The Freethinkers." by Bradlaugh, Charles