cere

[ seer ]

/ sɪər /

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noun Ornithology.

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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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cere

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

OTHER WORDS FROM cere

cered, adjectivecereless, adjective

Words nearby cere

cercal, cercaria, cercis, cercopithecoid, cercus, cere, cereal, cereal leaf beetle, cerebellar syndrome, cerebellum, cerebr-

Other definitions for cere (2 of 3)

cere²

[ seer ]

/ sɪər /

verb (used with object), cered, cer·ing.

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

Obsolete. to wax.

Origin of cere

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

Other definitions for cere (3 of 3)

Cer.E.

abbreviation

Ceramic Engineer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cere in a sentence

Its cere and feet were yellow, and the circle of its eyelids a bright yellow.
The Natural History of Selborne, Vol. 1|Gilbert White
When we arrived on the spot, where the Bagh cere-mony was celebrated, the festivity was at its height.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
That you may live long to continue your useful labors, and reap the reward in the thankfulness of nations, is my sin cere prayer.
Ancient and Modern Celebrated Freethinkers|Charles Bradlaugh, A. Collins, and J. Watts
The bill is orange and black, the caruncles on his forehead orange, and the cere orange; the orbits scarlet, and the irides white.
Wanderings in South America|Charles Waterton

The cere and plainly notched bill of this carving clearly indicate a hawk, of what species it would be impossible to say.
Animal Carvings from Mounds of the Mississippi Valley|Henry W. Henshaw

British Dictionary definitions for cere (1 of 2)

cere¹

/ (sɪə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for cere

C15: from Old French cire wax, from Latin cēra

British Dictionary definitions for cere (2 of 2)

cere²

/ (sɪə) /

verb

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

Word Origin for cere

C15: from Latin cērāre, from cēra wax

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012