[cher.ry] n, pl cherries [ME chery, fr. ONF cherise (taken as a plural), fr. LL ceresia, fr. L cerasus cherry tree, fr. Gk kerasos] (14c) 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 sweet cherry b: the fruit of a cherry c: the wood of a cherry
2: a variable color averaging a moderate red 3 a: hymen b: virginity -- cher.ry.like adj