cherry

Everyday

1. A cherry is a small round red or dark red fruit with a hard stone in the middle and a long thin stalk. tree →
2. A cherry tree is the tree these fruits grow on; its blossom is pink or white in spring. tree →
3. Cherry is a bright red colour. tree →
4. Cherry is also the reddish wood of the cherry tree. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life cherries are eaten fresh in summer or in pies and on cakes. In science, the stone is the seed. In Japan and many cities, people celebrate cherry blossom in spring. Phrases: «a cherry on top» (a nice extra), «cherry-pick» (choose only the best), «cherry blossom», «cherry tomato».

Examples

• Cherries have a hard stone in the middle. tree →
• We picked cherries from the tree in the garden. tree →
• Spit out the cherry stone; don't swallow it. tree →
• There's a cherry on top of the cake. tree →
• The cherry trees are covered in pink blossom. tree →
• Her cheeks were cherry red from the cold. tree →
• Cherry tomatoes are small and sweet. tree →
• Winning the trip was the cherry on top of a great week. tree →
• He cracked it, and there lay a cherry-stone. tree →

Note

Plural: cherries (y → ies). «Cherry-pick» means choose only the things that suit you, which can be unfair (e.g. choosing only the data that supports you). Safety: cherry stones can choke young children; take them out first.