Bird cher·ry Bot. A shrub (Prunus Padus ) found in Northern and Central Europe. It bears small black cherries.
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Cher·ry n.
1. Bot. A tree or shrub of the genus Prunus (Which also includes the plum) bearing a fleshy drupe with a bony stone; (a) 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 Médoc in France). (b) 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).
2. The fruit of the cherry tree, a drupe of various colors and flavors.
3. The timber of the cherry tree, esp. of the black cherry, used in cabinetmaking, etc.
4. A peculiar shade of red, like that of a cherry.
Barbadoes cherry. See under Barbadoes.
Cherry bird Zool., 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) A child's play, in which cherries are thrown into a hole. --Shak. (b) A cherry stone.
Cherry rum, rum in which cherries have been steeped.
Cherry sucker Zool., 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.
Hag·ber·ry n. Bot. A plant of the genus Prunus (Prunus Padus); the bird cherry. [Scot.]
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Prunus padus
n : small European cherry tree closely resembling the American
chokecherry [syn: hagberry tree, European bird cherry,
common bird cherry]