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wild cherry

wild cherry

4.0
A small tree that grows naturally and the small tart fruit it makes
  • noun
  • /waɪld ˈʧɛri/
translation icon : cereza silvestre
  • We walked over to a gnarled, windblown wild cherry, about fifteen feet high.
  • wild cherry tree

Examples

  • "He pointed out to me all the scrub oak, wild cherry, and other assorted trees, none taller than twenty feet high.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Looks like this is wild cherry, I'm guessing.

  • "The chestnuts and wild cherry trees still colored the slopes, and beyond them, Melanie could see the Alps.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • I climbed the tall wild cherry tree to pick the small, tart fruits.

  • Every spring, the wild cherry trees burst into beautiful white blossoms, attracting many bees.

  • The forest was filled with wild cherry trees, their fragrant flowers signaling the arrival of summer.

Synonyms

cherry
vswild cherry
26 1.0

A tree or shrub that makes small round fruit with one hard stone

is limited to cherries that grow naturally and often are tart
cherry tree
vswild cherry
8 1.0

A tree or shrub that grows small round fruit with one hard stone

is the specific native cherry term rather than all cherry types
sour cherry
vswild cherry
1 2.9

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

is the naturally growing cherry concept, not only cooking varieties
black cherry
vswild cherry
  • US
1 3.0

A small dark red to almost black round fruit from a tree that tastes sweet

can mean native cherries more generally, not that single fruit type
mazzard
vswild cherry
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A wild sweet cherry tree used as the root for grafting cultivated cherries

is the native cherry concept focused on tart fruit rather than rootstock use
wild cherry tree
vswild cherry
1 2.9

A small tree that grows in the wild and produces cherries

is the wider name that also refers to its tart fruit
chokecherry tree
vswild cherry
  • US
1 8.3

A wild North American cherry tree with small dark berries that taste bitter and attract birds

is a general name for native cherries, not only astringent types
Prunus serotina
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
9.9

A large North American wild cherry tree with black sour fruit

is the general native cherry term rather than this species
black cherry tree
vswild cherry
  • US
4.6

A large North American tree that has small black sour fruit people can eat

covers any naturally growing cherry, not only this species
rum cherry
vswild cherry
  • US
8.9

A large North American cherry tree with dark sour fruit and strong wood

is the common term for native cherries beyond this regional type
Prunus virginiana
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
8.8

A small wild tree with bitter black cherries that birds eat

is broader, covering native cherries including larger or different fruits
bird cherry
vswild cherry
7.9

A small wild cherry tree with red or black fruit that birds often eat

is the general native cherry name, not limited to bird-eaten types
sour cherry tree
vswild cherry
3.7

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

is the broader native cherry idea, not limited to this Eurasian type
Prunus cerasus
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
8.2

A small tree from Europe and Asia that makes red or dark sour cherries used for pies

is the broader native cherry label, not species-specific
amarelle
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
9.9

A sour cherry tree that makes pale red fruit with almost clear juice

is the general native cherry notion, not this pale-fruited variety
maraschino cherry
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
7.7

A wild Dalmatian cherry tree whose bitter fruit is used to make a sweet alcoholic cherry drink

is the common native cherry term, not the liqueur source specifically
Prunus avium
vswild cherry
  • Specialized
9.9

A large tree from Europe and Asia that makes sweet cherries people eat

focuses on naturally growing tart cherries rather than cultivated forms
holly-leaved cherry
vswild cherry
  • US
9.8

An evergreen shrub or small tree with spiny leathery leaves and white flowers from California

is the general native cherry idea, not this regional shrub species

How Edible

plum tree
1 1.1
wild cherry
4.0
Prunus subcordata
  • Specialized
9.9

Surface Forms

wild cherry singular
wild cherries plural

Morphology

wild + cherry

The meaning 'a cherry tree or fruit that grows naturally' is directly and transparently composed from 'wild' (growing naturally, not cultivated) plus 'cherry' (the tree/fruit). This noun-noun composition is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Wild cherry is a noun that comes from the simple picture of a wild cherry tree that grows naturally in the woods, not planted in a garden. Its small, tart fruits are often eaten by birds, so the name means 'a cherry that grows naturally' or 'a small, tart fruit'.