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.
the tree bearing such a fruit.
the wood of such a tree.
any of various fruits or plants resembling the cherry.
bright red; cerise.
Slang: Often Vulgar.
the hymen.
the state of virginity.
Slang.
something new or unused.
a novice.
Underworld Slang. a first offender.
Bowling. the striking down of only the forward pin or pins in attempting to make a spare.
bright-red; cerise.
(of food and beverages) made with or containing cherries or cherrylike flavoring.
cherry pie; cherry soda.
(of furniture, woodwork, etc.) made of or covered or decorated with wood from the cherry tree.
Slang: Often Vulgar. being a virgin.
Slang.
new or unused.
a three-year-old car in cherry condition.
inexperienced; being an innocent novice.
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
the fruit or wood of any of these trees
any of various unrelated plants, such as the ground cherry and Jerusalem cherry
a bright red colour; cerise
( as adjective )
a cherry coat
slang virginity or the hymen as its symbol
(modifier) of or relating to the cherry fruit or wood
cherry tart
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
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You have this guy with this sketchy legal past and the cherry on top is…he’s never been a developer of a data center,” said Scurries, 34, a vocal opponent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
How about red onion, cherry tomatoes or that half a shallot that’s threatening to turn into a plant in the back of your fridge?
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
There’s also no cherry picking to spend FSA money on camp costs while using the tax credit for other expenses like daycare costs, Pon said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
And it is funny to have a cherry candle on top of your birthday cake.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Samir’s caftan is ruined from the mixture of cherry paste and sugar syrup.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
This is Zurbarán’s earliest-known signed-and-dated still life, proof, Mr. Cherry writes, that this was a work for which he “wished to be recognized and remembered.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The show also nabbed five nominations for guest actress in a comedy series for Leslie Bibb, Cherry Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Kaitlin Olson and Lauren Weedman.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
That same year, ex-MP Joanna Cherry quit the SNP ruling body due to a lack of transparency.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Cherry picking only those that don’t might hurt results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Have you ever seen a really beautiful production of, say, The Cherry Orchard?
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Inspired by her family’s produce, she cast real corn, strawberries and cherries in plaster, then made a silicone mold to create copies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 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
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
He included the bite mark for scale to set the apple apart from similar round fruit like cherries -- learning only later it was a homonym for the computer term "byte".
From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026
The berries were full and ripe, and he tasted one to find it sweet, and with none of the problems of the gut cherries.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
