Cerasus
/ˈsɛr.ə.səs/noun
A cherry tree or cherry, especially in botanical or historical contexts.
Did you know?Latin cerasus was borrowed from Greek kerasos/kerasos, a name ancient writers linked to the Black Sea city of Kerasous, so the fruit’s name may preserve a real geographic origin rather than a mythic one.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κέρασος / κέρασον
“Cherry tree; cherry fruit”
Classical Latin
Latin
cerasus
“Cherry tree; cherry”
Late Latin
Latin
ceresia / ceresia
“Cherry”
Old French
Old French
cherise
“Cherry”
Middle English
English
cheryse / cherrie
“Cherry”
Modern English
English
cherry
“The fruit of the cherry tree; by extension, the tree itself”