The Collaborative International Dictionary
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.]
-
(Bot.) A tree or shrub of the genus Prunus (Which also includes the plum) bearing a fleshy drupe with a bony stone;
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 M['e]doc in France).
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).
The fruit of the cherry tree, a drupe of various colors and flavors.
The timber of the cherry tree, esp. of the black cherry, used in cabinetmaking, etc.
-
A peculiar shade of red, like that of a cherry. Barbadoes cherry. See under Barbadoes. Cherry bird (Zo["o]l.), an American bird; the cedar bird; -- so called from its fondness for cherries. Cherry bounce, cherry brandy and sugar. Cherry brandy, brandy in which cherries have been steeped. Cherry laurel (Bot.), an evergreen shrub ( Prunus Lauro-cerasus) common in shrubberies, the poisonous leaves of which have a flavor like that of bitter almonds. Cherry pepper (Bot.), a species of Capsicum ( Capsicum cerasiforme), with small, scarlet, intensely piquant cherry-shaped fruit. Cherry pit.
A child's play, in which cherries are thrown into a hole.
--Shak.-
A cherry stone.
Cherry rum, rum in which cherries have been steeped.
Cherry sucker (Zo["o]l.), the European spotted flycatcher ( Musicapa grisola); -- called also cherry chopper cherry snipe.
Cherry tree, a tree that bears cherries.
Ground cherry, Winter cherry, See Alkekengi.
Chokecherry \Choke"cher`ry\, n. (Bot.) The astringent fruit of a species of wild cherry ( Prunus Virginiana); also, the bush or tree which bears such fruit.
Wikipedia
Prunus virginiana, commonly called bitter-berry, chokecherry, Virginia bird cherry and western chokecherry (also black chokecherry for P. virginiana var. demissa), is a species of bird cherry (Prunus subgenus Padus) native to North America; the natural historic range of P. virginiana includes most of Canada (including Northwest Territory but excluding Yukon, Nunavut, and Labrador), most of the United States (including Alaska but excluding some states in the Southeast) and northern Mexico ( Sonora, Chihuahua, Baja California, Durango, Zacatecas, Coahuila and Nuevo León).