cider

noun

ci·​der ˈsī-dər How to pronounce cider (audio)
1
: fermented apple juice often made sparkling by carbonation or fermentation in a sealed container
2
: the expressed juice of fruit (such as apples) used as a beverage or for making other products (such as applejack)

Examples of cider in a Sentence

a cup of apple cider
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to the official tasting notes, this gives the whiskey notes of ripe fruit, cider, coffee, lemon thyme, dark chocolate, and spiced berry compote. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2024 Combine cornstarch and apple cider (or water) to make a slurry, then add it to the skillet and whisk until combined. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024 There will be free kids painting activities, a Christmas selfie wall, hot apple cider, warm spiced wine, and a cozy fire pit to catch up with friends. —Miriam Porter, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The macaron cookie flavors are pumpkin spice, chai, maple cider, caramel apple, and cinnamon roll. —Elaine Rewolinski, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cider 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sider, sedyr, cidre "alcoholic drink (in Biblical translations and references), cider," borrowed from Anglo-French sizre, ciser, cydre, going back to Gallo-Romance *cīsera, by metathesis form of Late Latin (Vulgate) sīcera "alcoholic drink," borrowed from Greek (Septuagint) síkera, borrowed from Hebrew shēkhār, from a Semitic base š-k-r, whence Hebrew shākhar "become drunk," Arabic sikara

Note: The medieval French form sizre is attested once, in the 12th-century Cambridge, or Eadwine Psalter, where it appears as a translation of the Latin siceram in Psalm 68:14 (the Vulgate has vinum in this passage). (For other medieval outcomes and modern dialect forms see Französisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, v. 11, pp. 589-90.) Presumably *cīs(ĕ)ra yielded *tsizdra, which with loss of the internal sibilant yielded cidre (see Pierre Fouché, Phonétique historique du français, vol. 3 [Paris: Klincksieck, 1966], p. 822). Latin sīcera and its vernacular outcomes were likely disseminated and applied to the fermented juice of fruit, especially apples, in monasteries, particularly in non-wine-producing areas of Europe such as Normandy; Norman localization would also account for the thorough penetration of the word into Anglo-French.

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cider was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing cider

Dictionary Entries Near cider

Cid, El

cider

cider apple

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Cider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cider. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

cider

noun
ci·​der ˈsīd-ər How to pronounce cider (audio)
: the juice pressed out of fruit (as apples) and used especially as a drink and in the making of vinegar

More from Merriam-Webster on cider

Nglish: Translation of cider for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cider

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