cherry, n:
I. 1. a. A well-known stone-fruit; the pulpy drupe of certain species (or a sub-genus) of Prunus (family Rosaceæ). When used without qualification it usually means the fruit of the cultivated tree (
Prunus Cerasus or
Cerasus vulgaris); of this, two forms are now also found wild in Britain; the more distinct of these, the common Wild Cherry or Gean, is sometimes considered a separate species (
P. Avium).
b. In proverbial expressions.
2. a. Short for
CHERRY-TREE.
b. for
cherry-wood (see 10). Also
attrib.
3. With qualifying words, applied
a. to many species (and varieties) of the genus
Prunus (and sub-genus
Cerasus), of which about 40 are named by Miller, 1884: among these are
BIRD C.,
CHOKE C.,
GROUND C., etc., q.v.;
black c., a formerly prevalent name of the Wild Cherry (
P. Avium);
Canadian,
dwarf, or
sand c. (
P. pumila);
American bird c. or
wild red c. (
P. pennsylvanica);
American wild black c. (
P. serotina);
evergreen c. (
P. caroliniana).
b. Extended to many trees resembling the cherry-tree in fruit, quality of wood, etc. See
BARBADOS C.,
BIRCH C.,
BRUSH C.,
CLAMMY C.,
CORNELIAN C.,
COWHAGE C.,
WINTER C.,
WOODEN C., etc.
Australian c. (
Exocarpus cupressiformis);
beech c. =
BRUSH CHERRY;
black c., a local name of Deadly Nightshade;
broad-leaved c., of W. Indies (
Cordia macrophylla);
Cayenne c. (
Eugenia Michelii);
Hottentot c. (
Cassine Maurocenia);
Jamaica c. (
Ficus pedunculata);
Jerusalem c. (
Solanum pseudo-capsicum);
N. S. Wales c. (
Nelitris ingens).
4. ‘A cordial composed of cherry-juice and spirit, sweetened and diluted’ (Webster). Cf.
CHERRY-BRANDY.
5. fig. a. Applied to the lips, etc.
b. Applied to a person.
c. Virginity, esp. in phr.
to lose one's cherry; similarly,
to take (etc.)
a cherry. Also, the hymen; a virgin (also as
adj.)
; As in: I'm a cherry ghost. Hey, I'm a cherry ghost.
6. The cherry-like berry of the coffee shrub.
7. Mech. A spherical bur or reaming-tool. (snicker)
II. attrib. and
Comb.
8. simple attrib. or as
adj. Cherry-coloured, red.
9. General comb.:
a. attrib., as
cherry-bloom,
-blossom,
-dye,
-feast,
-fruit,
-garden,
-gum,
-kernel,
-orchard,
-pie,
-tart,
-time,
-stick,
-stock,
-yard;
b. similative, as
cherry-cheek,
-colour;
-crimson,
-rose adjs.;
c. parasynthetic, as
cherry-cheeked,
-coloured,
-lipped adjs. Also
cherry-like adj.
10. Special comb.:
cherry-apple, the Siberian Crab-apple (
Pyrus baccata);
cherry-bag, a kind of purse for holding gold;
cherry-bay =
cherry-laurel;
cherry-bird, the American Wax-Wing or Cedar-bird (
Ampelis Carolinensis);
cherry-blossom, the blossom of the cherry; also its colour;
cherry-bob, two cherries with stalks united used by children for earrings and in games;
cherry-breeches, a nickname of the 11th Hussars, from their crimson trousers;
cherry-chopper,
cherry snipe,
cherry-sucker, popular names of the Spotted Fly-catcher;
cherry-clack,
cherry-clapper, a rattle driven by the wind for scaring birds from cherry-trees;
cherry-coal, a soft coal with a shiny resinous lustre, which ignites readily and burns without caking;
cherry-cob =
CHERRY-STONE;
cherry coffee, the fruit containing the coffee berry;
cherry cordial =
CHERRY-BOUNCE 1;
cherry country, the district, in Kent, where the cherry is largely grown, in extensive cherry-orchards, for commercial purposes;
cherry-crab =
cherry-apple;
cherry-cracker, the Hawfinch or Grosbeak;
cherry-finch =
cherry-cracker;
cherry-laurel, the common Laurel (
Cerasus Laurocerasus);
cherry-pepper, a species of Capsicum (
C. cerasiforme);
cherry-picker, (
a) pl.
slang =
cherry-breeches (cf.
CHERUB 3e); (
b) a crane or similar device by means of which persons may be raised or lowered;
cherry-pie, popular name of the Great Hairy Willow-herb (
Epilobium hirsutum) and of the garden
Heliotropium peruvianum;
cherry-ripe,
a., ripe like a cherry; also a mode of crying ‘ripe cherries’;
cherry-rum, rum in which cherries have been steeped;
cherry-stoner, an instrument for forcing cherry-stones from the pulp;
cherry-water, a kind of drink made from cherries;
cherry-wine, wine made from cherries,
esp. MARASCHINO, made from the Marascho Cherry;
cherry-wood, the wood of the cherry-tree; also a popular name for the Wild Guelder-rose (
Viburnum Opulus). See also
CHERRY-BOUNCE,
CHERRY-TREE, etc.