cherry

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of several trees or shrubs of the genus Prunus, especially P. avium or P. cerasus, native chiefly to northern temperate regions and having pink or white flowers and small juicy drupes.
2. n. The yellow, red, or blackish fruit of any of these plants.
3. n. The wood of any of these plants, especially black cherry.
4. n. Any of various plants, such as the Barbados cherry or the cornelian cherry, having fruits resembling a cherry.
5. n. A moderate or strong red to purplish red.
6. n. Vulgar Slang The hymen considered as a symbol of virginity.
7. adj. Containing or having the flavor of cherries.
8. adj. Made of the wood of a cherry tree: a cherry cabinet.
9. adj. Of a moderate or strong red to purplish red.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The fruit of species of Cerasus (which is commonly regarded as a subgenus of Prunus), consisting of a globose pulpy drupe inclosing a one-seeded smooth stone; also, a tree producing this fruit. The cultivated varieties of the garden-cherry probably all belong to two species. Prunus Cerasus and P. avium, both doubtless natives of Europe. It is related by Pliny that this fruit or a cultivated variety of it was brought from Cerasus in Pontus to Italy after the defeat of Mithridates by Lucullus, about 70 b. c. It was introduced into England by the Romans about 120 years afterward. There are many kinds, as the red-, black-, and white-hearts, the Mayduke, bigaroon, morello, Kentish, etc. The wild or crab cherry, mazard or gean of Great Britain, is a wild state of the Prunus avium, which is also found in various other parts of Europe. From the fruit of its different varieties several highly esteemed cordials are prepared, as the maraschino of Italy, the ratafia of France, the kirschwasser of Germany, etc. To this group of cherries, distinguished by having their flowers and fruits in clusters, belong also the mahaleb cherry (P. Mahaleb) of Europe, with very fragrant flowers, and the ground-cherry (P. Chamœcerasus), as well as the wild red cherry (P. Pennsylvanica) and the dwarf cherry (P. pumila) of North America. A second section of the genus has the flowers in racemes, and the fruit smaller and less palatable. To this belong the bird-cherry (P. Padus) of Europe, and the wild black cherry, also called the rum- or cabinet-cherry (P. serotina), and the choke-cherry (P. Virginiana) of America. Still a third section consists of evergreen trees, with the flowers in racemes and the fruit inedible, including the bastard cherry, bay-cherry, or laurel-cherry (P. Lauro-Cerasus) of Europe, and the Carolina laurel-cherry (P. Caroliniana) of the southern United States.
2. n. A name given to many different kinds of fruit which bear some resemblance to the common cherry. See phrases below.
3. n. The wood of the cherry-tree. In Australia, the fine-grained wood of Eugenia myrtifolia, and especially the very hard, compact, and durable wood of Exocarpus cupressiformis, used in ship-building and other strong work. That of the wild black cherry, Prunus serotina, of the United States is a light, hard, strong wood of a reddish color, largely used and highly esteemed for cabinet-work, interior finishing, etc.
4. n. A cutter or countersink used in making bullet-molds.
5. Like a red cherry in color; red; ruddy; blooming: as, a cherry lip; cherry cheeks.
6. Made of cherry-wood: as, a cherry table.
7. To impart a cherry color to; redden.
8. A modification of cherish.
9. n. The service-berry.
10. n. A shrub or small tree, Eugenia uniflora, a native of South America, which produces luscious, bright-red, cherry-like fruit about an inch in diameter and agreeably acid. Also called Cayenne or Brazilian cherry and pitanga.
11. n. Prunus sphærocarpa, a small evergreen tree which ranges from southern peninsular Florida to the West Indies and Brazil.
12. n. generally to any of the native American cherries, as P. serotina, P. Virginiana, P. Pennsylvanica, etc., and particularly to the less-known species, such as P. emarginata, P. Alabamensis, and P. australis.
13. n. Improperly, P. angustifolia, the Chickasaw plum (which see, under plum).

Wiktionary

1. n. A small fruit, usually red, black or yellow, with a smooth hard seed and a short hard stem.
2. n. Prunus subg. Cerasus, trees or shrubs that bears cherries.
3. n. The wood of a cherry tree.
4. n. cherry red
5. n. slang Virginity, especially female virginity as embodied by a hymen.
6. n. graph theory A subtree consisting of a node with exactly two leaves.
7. adj. Containing or having the taste of cherries.
8. adj. Of a bright red colour.
9. adj. informal In excellent condition; mint condition.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Bot.) A tree or shrub of the genus Prunus (Which also includes the plum) bearing a fleshy drupe with a bony stone
2. n. 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).
3. n. 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).
4. n. The fruit of the cherry tree, a drupe of various colors and flavors.
5. n. The timber of the cherry tree, esp. of the black cherry, used in cabinetmaking, etc.
6. n. A peculiar shade of red, like that of a cherry.
7. adj. Like a red cherry in color; ruddy; blooming.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a red fruit with a single hard stone
2. n. a red the color of ripe cherries
3. n. wood of any of various cherry trees especially the black cherry
4. adj. of a color at the end of the color spectrum (next to orange); resembling the color of blood or cherries or tomatoes or rubies
5. n. any of numerous trees and shrubs producing a small fleshy round fruit with a single hard stone; many also produce a valuable hardwood