Cher"ry (?), n. [OE. chery, for cherys, fr. F. cerise (cf. AS. cyrs cherry), fr. LL. ceresia, fr. L. cerasus Cherry tree, Gr. , perh. fr. 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'edoc in France). (b) The wild cherry; as, prunus serotina (wild black cherry), valued for its timber; P. Virginiana (choke cherry), an American shrub which bears astringent fruit; P. avium and P. Padus, European trees (bird cherry).
2.
The fruit of the cherry tree, a drupe of various colors and flavors.
3.
The timber of the cherry tree, esp. of the black cherry, used in cabinetmaking, etc.
4.
A peculiar shade of red, like that of a cherry.
Barbadoes cherry. See under Barbadoes. -- Cherry bird Zool., 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 evergren 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 (C. 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 Zool., 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.
© Webster 1913.
Cher"ry (?), a.
Like a red cherry in color; ruddy; blooming; as, a cherry lip; cherry cheeks.
© Webster 1913.