cherub

American  

[cher-uhb] / ˈtʃɛr əb /

noun

cherubs, plural cherubim plural

1. (in the Bible) a celestial being.

2. Theology. a member of the second order of angels, often represented as a beautiful rosy-cheeked child with wings.

3. a beautiful or innocent person, especially a child.

4. a person, especially a child, with a sweet, chubby, innocent face.

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cherub British  

/ tʃəˈruːbɪk, ˈtʃɛrəb /

noun

1. theol a member of the second order of angels, whose distinctive gift is knowledge, often represented as a winged child or winged head of a child

2. an innocent or sweet child

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cherubic
  adjective
• cherubical
  adjective
• cherublike
  adjective
• cherubically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cherubim
  plural
• cherubs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cherub

First recorded before 900; Middle English, from Latin, from Greek, from Hebrew kərūbh; replacing Middle English cherubin, Old English c(h)erubin, cerubim (all singular), from Latin cherūbim, from Greek, from Hebrew kərūbhīm (plural)

Explanation

You might think of a rosy-faced child as a cherub, conjuring up an image of chubby, naked angels cavorting amongst the clouds. That image comes from the most familiar use of the word, which was to name an order of angels. The image we have of a cherub, chubby-cheeked babies with wings, actually wasn't around until the Renaissance, when artists depicted the lower-order angels as children. Prior to that, the word evolved from the Hebrew kĕrūḇ, and was taken from the Aramaic kĕ-raḇyā which meant "child-like." It was this translation that encouraged the idea of a cherub as being portrayed as a child. The plural form, "cherubim" also follows the Hebrew grammar rule of creating plurals by adding the suffix -im.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cherub cherubim cherubs

Mr Piovesana also had a cartoon-style tattoo of a man, a car and a cherub on his arm, and a Vespa motorbike on his stomach, they added.

From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2025

Critics likened Mr. Wagoner to a sweet-spirited cherub or a crinkly eyed teddy bear.

From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2024

They led by 11 after the first quarter, 17 at halftime, 33 after three, and they just kept piling it on, so much that Jack Nicholson spent the game looking like a gleeful cherub.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2023

A cherub statue the Welnicks placed outside as a memorial to a child they lost to miscarriage looked down at the rubble.

From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2022

But it turned out Andrecito was such a sweet cherub of a baby that his diapers didn’t bother me.

From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau

Song floats through “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” like hovering cherubim.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025

There is no end of hand-wringing over careerists who forgo the delights of cherubim in favor of corporate paychecks, but careful interrogations of parenthood are few and far between.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 27, 2023

In one passage, a prophet called Ezekiel describes a "vision of God being transported on cherubim", with four wings and "feet shaped like the sole of a calf's foot".

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2021

She’s attended by a half-dozen crimson seraphim and three royal blue cherubim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2018

All around me are the cherubim, seraphim, continually crying “Holy, holy, holy,” the angels, archangels, that sort of thing.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

I was fascinated entering the Catholic churches and finding Black figures as Jesus and the disciples, but often alongside white cherubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

“Elements such as the staircase cherubs, vibrant patterned wallpaper, curved French patio doors, and the deeply personal, expressive touches throughout make the home both memorable and visually striking.”

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 3, 2026

Apparently it’s this ballroom at Mar-a-Lago, with its $7 million of gold leaf, that Trump wants now to re-create in the East Wing; the gold cherubs have already been brought up from Florida.

From Slate ● May 30, 2025

It is made of wood and plated with gold leaf, from the cherubs on the roof to the Greek sea gods over each wheel.

From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2023

Ever interested in art, Beowulf was transfixed by the murals painted on the ceiling of the theater, which featured adorable winged cherubs playing golden harps.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood