Ceres
[ seer-eez ]
/ ˈsɪər iz /
noun
a pre-Roman goddess of agriculture under whose name the Romans adopted the worship of the Greek goddess Demeter.
Astronomy. the first asteroid to be discovered, being the largest and one of the brightest.
a town in central California.
QUIZZES
IT’S A WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ BONANZA!
This windfall of words will make you rich with knowledge. Mine your memory on the words from July 27 to August 2!
Question 1 of 7
What does "scattergood" mean?
a person who acts as though he or she knows everything and who dismisses the opinions, comments, or suggestions of others.
a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; spendthrift.
a well-intentioned but naive and often ineffectual social or political reformer.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUTWords nearby Ceres
ceremony, cerenkov, cerenkov effect, cerenkov radiation, cereous, Ceres, ceresin, cereus, cerf, ceria, ceric
Definition for ceres (2 of 3)
cere1
[ seer ]
/ sɪər /
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.
Origin of cere
11480–90; earlier sere, spelling variant of *cere < Medieval Latin cēra literally, wax < Latin
OTHER WORDS FROM cere
cered, adjectivecere·less, adjectiveDefinition for ceres (3 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
21375–1425; late Middle English ceren < Latin cērāre to wax, verbal derivative of cēra wax
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for ceres
British Dictionary definitions for ceres (1 of 4)
Ceres1
/ (ˈsɪəriːz) /
noun
the Roman goddess of agricultureGreek counterpart: Demeter
British Dictionary definitions for ceres (2 of 4)
Ceres2
/ (ˈsɪəriːz) /
noun
the smallest dwarf planet in the solar system, located in the asteroid belt. It has a diameter of 930 kilometres
British Dictionary definitions for ceres (3 of 4)
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 ceres (4 of 4)
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
Scientific definitions for ceres
Ceres
[ sîr′ēz ]
The closest dwarf planet to the Sun , with an orbit in the asteroid belt. Ceres was the first object in the asteroid belt to be discovered (1801). Initially considered a planet, it was reclassified as an asteroid in the mid-1800s and as a dwarf planet in 2006. It has a diameter of about 960 km (595 mi). See more at dwarf planet.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for ceres
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.