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Webster 1913 Edition

Cherry

Cher′ry

(chĕr′ry̆)
,
Noun.
[OE.
chery
, for
cherys
, fr. F.
cerise
(cf. AS.
cyrs
cherry), fr. LL.
ceresia
, fr. L.
cerasus
Cherry tree, Gr.
κερασός
, perh. fr.
κέρασ
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 Médoc 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).
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 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
(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
.

Cher′ry

(chĕr′ry̆)
,
Adj.
Like a red cherry in color; ruddy; blooming;
as, a
cherry
lip;
cherry
cheeks
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Cherry

CHERRY

,
Noun.
The fruit of a tree, a species of Prunus, of which there are many varieties, as the red or garden cherry, the red heart, the white heart, the black cherry, the black heart, and several others. The fruit is a pulp inclosing a kernel. It is related that this fruit was brought from Cerasus in Pontus to Italy, after the defeat of Mithridates by Lucullus, A R. 680., and introduced into England by the Romans, about 120 years afterwards, A.D. 55.
Barbadoes cherry, is the genus Malpighia, of several species. The berries are red, cherry-shaped, acid and eatable.
Bird cherry, is a species of Prunus, the common laurel or lauro-cerasus.
Also, the Prunus padus.
Cornelian cherry, is the fruit of the Cornus, cornel-tree or dogwood. It is a small, acid, cherry-like, eatable berry.
Dwarf cherry, is the fruit of a species of Lonicera, or honey-suckle.
Hottentot-cherry, is the fruit of a species of Cassine. The fruit is a trispermous berry of a dark purple color.
Winter-cherry, is a name of the fruit of the Physalis, a genus of many species. It is a berry of the size of a small cherry, inclosed in an inflated, bladder-like calyx. This name is also given to a species of Solanum.

CHERRY

,
Adj.
Like a red cherry in color; red, ruddy, blooming; as a cherry lip; cherry cheeks.

CHERRY

,
Noun.
A cordial composed of cherry juice and spirit, sweetened, and diluted. The wild cherry is most generally used for this purpose, being steeped for some days in spirit, which extracts the juice of the fruit; the tincture is then sweetened and diluted to the taste. This cordial is moderately bitter and astringent. It is sometimes made of the mazzard.

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