Sherry
/ˈʃɛri/noun
A fortified wine originally from the Jerez region of Spain.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the name of the Spanish city Jerez, which passed through Arabic and older Romance forms before becoming the English wine name.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Times
Latin
Cæsariana?
“No established Latin ancestor for the wine name; the place-name tradition develops later around the Spanish city.”
Arabic Period
Arabic
شريش (Sherish)
“An Arabic form used for the city of Jerez under Muslim rule.”
Medieval Spanish
Spanish
Xerez / Jerez
“The city name of Jerez, the source of the wine’s geographic label.”
16th Century
English
sherris / sherry
“A fortified wine imported from Spain, especially from Jerez.”
Modern English
English
sherry
“A fortified white wine from the Jerez region of Spain.”