/ ˈtʃerɪʃ; NAmE / verb [ vn ] ( formal )
1.
to love sb/sth very much and want to protect them or it :
Children need to be cherished.
her most cherished possession
2.
to keep an idea, a hope or a pleasant feeling in your mind for a long time :
Cherish the memory of those days in Paris.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (in the sense treat with affection ): from Old French cheriss- , lengthened stem of cherir , from cher dear, from Latin carus .