cherry

cherry
cherry mid-13c., from Anglo-Fr. cherise (mistaken in M.E. as a plural and stripped of its -s), from O.N.Fr. cherise (O.Fr., Fr. cerise, 12c.), from V.L. *ceresia, from late Gk. kerasian "cherry," from Gk. kerasos "cherry tree," possibly from a language of Asia Minor. O.E. had ciris "cherry" from a West Germanic form of the V.L. word (Cf. Ger. Kirsch), but it died out after the Norman invasion and was replaced by the French word. Meaning "maidenhead, virginity" is from 1889, U.S. slang, from supposed resemblance to the hymen, but perhaps also from the long-time use of cherries as a symbol of the fleeting quality of life's pleasures. Cherry-pick, in a pejorative sense, first recorded 1972.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Cherry — ist der Name folgender Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Cherry (Arizona) Cherry (Illinois) Cherry (Minnesota) Cherry (North Carolina) Cherry (Tennessee) Cherry (West Virginia) Cherry County, Verwaltungseinheit in Nebraska Cherry ist der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cherry — [ ʃeri ] n. m. • 1891; cherry brandy 1855; mot angl. « cerise » ♦ Liqueur de cerise. Des cherrys ou des cherries. « nous buvions de grandes rasades de Cherry Rocher » (Beauvoir). ⊗ HOM. Chéri , sherry. cherry, plur cherries n. m. Liqueur de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Cherry RC — Cherry R.C. is a cherry flavored version of the RC Cola soft drink that competes with Coca Cola Cherry and Pepsi Wild Cherry. This was the first cherry cola beverage to actually contain Real Cherry Syrup. [citation needed] The beverage is a… …   Wikipedia

  • CHERRY (D.) — Don CHERRY 1936 1995 Jazzman polymorphe – avant tout trompettiste et compositeur, il sera aussi flûtiste, percussionniste et pianiste –, Don Cherry demeurera sa vie durant influencé par son origine métisse: son père est noir, sa mère indienne… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • cherry — ► NOUN (pl. cherries) 1) the small, round bright or dark red stone fruit of a tree of the rose family. 2) a bright deep red colour. 3) (one s cherry) informal one s virginity. ● a bite at the cherry Cf. ↑a bite at the cherry …   English terms dictionary

  • cherry — [cher′ē] n. pl. cherries [ME cheri < Anglo Fr cherise (taken as pl.) < OFr cerise < VL * ceresia < Gr kerasion, cherry < kerasos, cherry tree < ? IE base * ker ; derived by the ancients from Cerasus, city on the Black Sea: the… …   English World dictionary

  • Cherry — Cher ry (ch[e^]r r[y^]), a. Like a red cherry in color; ruddy; blooming; as, a cherry lip; cherry cheeks. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Cherry —   [ tʃerɪ], Don, eigentlich Donald Cherry, amerikanischer Jazzmusiker (Trompete), * Oklahoma City 18. 11. 1936, ✝ Alhaurin El Grande (bei Málaga) 19. 10. 1995. Als Mitbegründer des Ornette Coleman Quartetts der 50er Jahre gehörte Cherry zu den… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Cherry — Cherry, IL U.S. village in Illinois Population (2000): 509 Housing Units (2000): 220 Land area (2000): 0.538056 sq. miles (1.393559 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.538056 sq. miles (1.393559 sq …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

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