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Glite Dictionary
Prunus cerasus

Prunus cerasus

8.2
A small tree from Europe and Asia that makes red or dark sour cherries used for pies
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Prunus cerasus
  • The tart fruit of the Prunus cerasus is prized for making pies and preserves.

Examples

  • The botanist explained how the Prunus cerasus differs from other cherry species in both taste and appearance.

  • Orchards of Prunus cerasus flourish in parts of Europe with cooler climates.

  • The Prunus cerasus tree blooms beautifully in spring.

  • Many gardeners prefer Prunus cerasus for its tart cherries.

  • The tart fruit of the Prunus cerasus is prized for making pies and preserves.

  • Many gardeners prefer Prunus cerasus for its tart cherries.

  • Orchards of Prunus cerasus flourish in parts of Europe with cooler climates.

Synonyms

sour cherry
vsPrunus cerasus
1 2.9

A small red fruit that tastes sour and is used for cooking or baking

refers specifically to the tree species rather than just the fruit
sour cherry tree
vsPrunus cerasus
3.7

A small tree that makes tart red cherries often used in cooking and jam

is the species name for that exact tree

Surface Forms

Prunus cerasus singular
Prunus cerasuses plural

Morphology

Prunus + cerasus

This is a Latin botanical binomial rather than a standard English compositional phrase: its parts are taxonomic/Latin terms and not productive English words a B1 learner would use to derive meaning. Even if a learner knows that Prunus is a genus of trees, they are unlikely to know the Latin element 'cerasus' or that together they denote the sour cherry, so the overall meaning is not predictable from the constituents.

Etymology

Prunus cerasus is the Latin name for the sour cherry tree. Prunus was the old word for plum and cherry trees and cerasus comes from an old word for 'cherry', so the name literally says 'sour cherry' and explains why it refers to that tart fruit today.