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:
Whether it was bustling over for another try in cherry and white hoops at Wembley or crushing the Aussies at Sydney Cricket Ground, Boston was a blur of speed, footwork and power.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
I’ll get a popcorn with butter in the middle and the top, and a blueberry and cherry Icee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
Some stands sold small cartons of cherry tomatoes for $7, bunches of kale for $4 and a mixed-salad bag for $5.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
"I think it's what spurs you on really, finding a new species. It's like the icing on the cake, or the cherry on top."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
Dicey would have said no, but after Maybeth had sung through one verse of Momma’s song about the cherry that has no stone, she joined in, and James did too.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
Cosmetics brand Glamlite teamed up with Pepsi for its first foray into body care, turning the cola’s flavors into a Wild Cherry body wash and a Vanilla Slushie scrub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Prosecutors say Wilburn was traveling about 100 mph on Cherry Valley Boulevard with lights and sirens activated, responding to a report of a shooting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
This is me trying my best to explain hockey without getting an angry phone call from Don Cherry or Mark Messier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026
Cherry claimed her colleagues on the finance and audit committee found that Murrell was "refusing to show them the books", while questions asked by the national executive committee were met with a "brick wall".
From BBC ● May 26, 2026
Cherry was out with us now, looking at her phone camera screen.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
"It's going to be a challenging period right through into the autumn. We're hearing potentially it could affect things like cherries as well."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
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
Berries, peaches, cherries, plums — anything that can be washed at home and eaten out of hand.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
We eat straight from the can as I search for cherries and grapes.
From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
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.
