cider
/ˈsaɪdər/
noun
Origin
Biblical Hebrew
šēkār — strong drink, intoxicating liquor
Overview
Meaning Now
- An alcoholic beverage made from fermented apple juice.
- In North America, unfiltered, unfermented apple juice.
Language path
Biblical Hebrew → Greek → Latin → Old French → Middle English → Modern English
Earliest form
sidre
Earliest period
late 13th century
Journey
Entered English via Old French sidre, ultimately from Hebrew šēkār through Greek and Latin; the apple-specific sense developed in medieval France.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
šēkār
“strong drink”
Likely source of Greek sikera.
- Greek
sikera
“fermented drink”
Transmitted to Latin.
- Latin
sicera
“intoxicating drink”
Vulgate term for strong drink.
- Old French
sidre
“fermented apple drink”
Shifted to apple-based beverage.
- Modern English
cider
“fermented apple drink; (US) apple juice”
Two senses differ by region.
Connections
Word parts
cider
root
fermented apple drink
Related across languages
French
cidre
cider
Spanish
sidra
cider
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.