- Cherry
- Cherry Cher"ry (ch[e^]r"r[y^]), n. [OE. chery, for cherys, fr.
F. cerise (cf. AS. cyrs cherry), fr. LL. ceresia, fr. L.
cerasus Cherry tree, Gr. keraso`s, perh. fr. ke`ras horn,
from the hardness of the wood.]
1. (Bot.) A tree or shrub of the genus {Prunus} (Which also
includes the plum) bearing a fleshy drupe with a bony
stone;
(a) The common garden cherry ({Prunus Cerasus}), of which
several hundred varieties are cultivated for the
fruit, some of which are, the begarreau, blackheart,
black Tartarian, oxheart, morelle or morello, May-duke
(corrupted from M['e]doc in France).
(b) The wild cherry; as, {Prunus serotina} (wild black
cherry), valued for its timber; {Prunus Virginiana}
(choke cherry), an American shrub which bears
astringent fruit; {Prunus avium} and {Prunus Padus},
European trees (bird cherry).
[1913 Webster]
2. The fruit of the cherry tree, a drupe of various colors and flavors. [1913 Webster]
3. The timber of the cherry tree, esp. of the black cherry, used in cabinetmaking, etc. [1913 Webster]
4. A peculiar shade of red, like that of a cherry. [1913 Webster]
{Barbadoes cherry}. See under {Barbadoes}.
{Cherry bird} (Zo["o]l.), an American bird; the cedar bird; -- so called from its fondness for cherries.
{Cherry bounce}, cherry brandy and sugar.
{Cherry brandy}, brandy in which cherries have been steeped.
{Cherry laurel} (Bot.), an evergreen shrub ({Prunus Lauro-cerasus}) common in shrubberies, the poisonous leaves of which have a flavor like that of bitter almonds.
{Cherry pepper} (Bot.), a species of {Capsicum} ({Capsicum cerasiforme}), with small, scarlet, intensely piquant cherry-shaped fruit.
{Cherry pit}. (a) A child's play, in which cherries are thrown into a hole. --Shak. (b) A cherry stone.
{Cherry rum}, rum in which cherries have been steeped.
{Cherry sucker} (Zo["o]l.), the European spotted flycatcher ({Musicapa grisola}); -- called also {cherry chopper} {cherry snipe}.
{Cherry tree}, a tree that bears cherries.
{Ground cherry}, {Winter cherry}, See {Alkekengi}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
