cider
UK[ˈsaɪdə]US[ˈsaɪdɚ]
n
An alcoholic drink made from fermented apple juice.
n
(Especially in North America) A non-alcoholic drink made from apple juice.
Etymology
The journey of 'cider' is a story of linguistic borrowing across cultures, centered on the concept of a fermented beverage. Its ultimate source is the Hebrew word 'šēkhār', a general term for strong drink. This was adopted into Greek as 'síkera' and then into Late Latin as 'sicera', where it referred to intoxicating drinks not made from grapes. The term passed into Old French as 'cidre', specifically narrowing to refer to fermented apple juice. English acquired the word from French in the Middle Ages, and its meaning has since stabilized to denote primarily an apple-based drink, while also developing a specific non-alcoholic sense in American English.
Analysis
The word 'cider' is a simplex loanword. It entered English from Old French 'cidre' (or 'sisre'), which derived from Late Latin 'sicera', meaning 'strong drink'. This Latin term was borrowed from Greek 'síkera', itself a loan from Hebrew 'šēkhār', meaning 'intoxicating drink'.
Examples
We sat in the orchard drinking cold, crisp cider.
Traditional farmhouse cider can be quite strong.
She bought a gallon of fresh apple cider from the farmers' market.