Cherry
/ˈtʃɛr.i/noun
A small, round stone fruit, typically red or black, from the cherry tree.
Did you know?English cherry ultimately comes from a chain that passed through Greek and Latin from a word for the fruit in ancient Asia Minor, showing how trade can carry names as powerfully as spices.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Greek / Ancient Anatolia
Pre-Greek
kerasos
“The cherry fruit or cherry tree, likely from a non-Greek source in Asia Minor.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kerasos / kerasia
“Cherry tree; cherry fruit.”
Late Latin
Latin
cerasium
“Cherry.”
Old French
Old French
cherise
“Cherry.”
Middle English
English
chery / cherise
“Cherry.”
Modern English
English
cherry
“The familiar fruit and tree.”