cherrywood
UK[ˈtʃɛriˌwʊd]US[ˈtʃɛriˌwʊd]
n
The hard, reddish-brown wood of the cherry tree, valued for making furniture and decorative items.
n
A tree that yields such wood.
Morpheme Breakdown
cherry
wood
cherry
fruit/tree
wood
material
Etymology
The word 'cherrywood' is a transparent English compound formed from two ancient roots. 'Cherry' traces back to the Greek kerasos, the name for the cherry tree, which passed into Latin as cerasus and entered English via Old French. 'Wood' originates from the Proto-Germanic widuz, evolving into the Old English wudu, which broadly meant "tree" and later specialized to mean the hard, fibrous material. The compound logically combines the specific tree source with the material it produces, creating a term that directly denotes the timber of the cherry tree, prized for its color and grain in woodworking.
Analysis
Structure: cherry (fruit/tree) + wood (material)
cherry: From Old Northern French cherise (mistaken as a plural), ultimately from Latin cerasus, from Greek kerasos, meaning "cherry tree". In this compound, it specifies the type of tree.
wood: From Old English wudu, meaning "tree, forest, wood (material)". In this compound, it denotes the substance derived from the tree.
Examples
The cabinet was crafted from fine, polished cherrywood.
The table's rich cherrywood finish deepened with age.
They planted a cherrywood in the garden for both its blossoms and future timber.