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.
The orchard and cidery serves pizzas and pastas alongside hot or cold cider, and hosts live music as folks linger along the outdoor tables with drinks and games. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026 Winesap apples bring intense, full-bodied flavor with deep cider-like notes, and are equally suited to cooking, eating fresh, and making cider. — Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026 Drink Cider at an Apple Orchard Venture 20 minutes south of Galena to Orchard Landing Apple Farm to pick 14 kinds of apples apples, sample hard cider, and grab some jams, jellies, and cider donuts to go. — Julia Sayers Gokhale, Midwest Living, 14 Oct. 2026 Go for a scenic drive, pop into an orchard for a cider tasting, and conclude your day in front of a crackling fireplace. — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for cider

See All Rhymes for cider

Browse Nearby Words

Cid, El
cider
cider apple
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cider.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cider. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cider

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