n.
Pronunciation: ' cher- ē , ' che-r ē
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural cherries
Etymology: Middle English chery, from Anglo-French cherise, cirice (taken as a plural), from Late Latin ceresia, from Latin cerasus cherry tree, from Greek kerasos
Date: 14th century
1 a : any of numerous trees and shrubs (genus Prunus ) of the rose family that bear pale yellow to deep red or blackish smooth-skinned drupes enclosing a smooth seed and that include some cultivated for their fruits or ornamental flowers ― compare SOUR CHERRY , SWEET CHERRY b : the fruit of a cherry c : the reddish-brown wood of a cherry especially : BLACK CHERRY 2
2 : a variable color averaging a moderate red
3 a : HYMEN b : VIRGINITY
– cher · ry · like \ - ˌ l ī k \ adjective