Adjacent Words

Cherish definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHERISH, n. The prince of Mecca; a high priest among the Mohammedans.
CHERISH, v.t.
1. To treat with tenderness and affection; to give warmth, ease or comfort to.
We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. 1 Th 2.
The damsel was fair and cherished the king. 1 Kings 1.
2. To hold as dear; to embrace with affection; to foster, and encourage; as, to cherish the principles of virtue; to cherish religion in the heart.
3. To treat in a manner to encourage growth, by protection, aid, attendance, or supplying nourishment; as, to cherish tender plants.
4. To harbor; to indulge and encourage in the mind; as, to cherish ill will, or any evil passion.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: be fond of; be attached to [syn: care for, cherish, hold dear, treasure]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb Etymology: Middle English cherisshen, from Anglo-French cheriss-, stem of cherir to cherish, from cher dear, from Latin carus — more at charity Date: 14th century 1. a. to hold dear ; feel or show affection for <cherished her friends> b. to keep or cultivate with care and affection ; nurture <cherishes his marriage> 2. to entertain or harbor in the mind deeply and resolutely <still cherishes that memory> Synonyms: see appreciate • cherishable adjective • cherisher noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. 1 protect or tend (a child, plant, etc.) lovingly. 2 hold dear, cling to (hopes, feelings, etc.). Etymology: ME f. OF cherir f. cher f. L carus dear

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cherish Cher"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cherished; p. pr. & vb. n. Cherising.] [F. ch['e]rir, fr. cher dear, fr. L. carus. See Caress, Finish.] 1. To treat with tenderness and affection; to nurture with care; to protect and aid. We were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. --1 Thess. ii. 7. 2. To hold dear; to embrace with interest; to indulge; to encourage; to foster; to promote; as, to cherish religious principle. To cherish virtue and humanity. --Burke. Syn: To nourish; foster; nurse; nurture; entertain; encourage; comfort; protect; support; See Nurture.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(cherishes, cherishing, cherished) 1. If you cherish something such as a hope or a pleasant memory, you keep it in your mind for a long period of time. The president will cherish the memory of this visit to Ohio... = treasure VERB: V n • cherished ...the cherished dream of a world without wars. ADJ: ADJ n 2. If you cherish someone or something, you take good care of them because you love them. The previous owners had cherished the house. VERB: V n • cherished He described the picture as his most cherished possession. ADJ: ADJ n 3. If you cherish a right, a privilege, or a principle, you regard it as important and try hard to keep it. These people cherish their independence and sovereignty. VERB: V n • cherished Freud called into question some deeply cherished beliefs. ADJ: ADJ n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

cher'-ish (cakhan; thalpo): Cakhan, "to act the friend," "to be useful," is translated "cherish" (1Ki 1:2,4); thalpo, "to warm," "to make warm," "to foster" (Eph 5:29), said of the regard the husband should have for his wife, even as his own flesh which he "nourisheth and cherisheth, even as Christ also the church," and in 1Th 2:7, of Paul amongst his converts, "as when a nurse cherisheth her own children."

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Nurture, foster, nourish, nurse, sustain, support, comfort, care for. 2. Hold dear, count precious, care greatly for, treasure, preserve anxiously, protect tenderly. 3. Harbor, entertain, indulge, encourage.

Moby Thesaurus

admire, adore, appreciate, apprize, attend to, baby-sit, bear, bear in mind, bosom, brood over, care for, chaperon, cling to, clip, coddle, conserve, cosset, cradle, cultivate, dearly love, defend, delight in, dry-nurse, dwell on, dwell upon, embosom, embrace, entertain, esteem, fan the embers, feed, fondle, foster, guard, harbor, have, have and hold, have in mind, hold, hold dear, hold in mind, hold on to, hug, idolize, keep, keep in memory, keep in mind, keep in view, keep watch over, lavish care on, look after, look out for, look to, love to distraction, matronize, mind, minister to, mother, nourish, nurse, nurture, pamper, preserve, prize, protege, provide for, regard, relish, retain, revere, reverence, ride herd on, safeguard, save, see after, see to, shelter, shepherd, shield, spoon-feed, suckle, support, sustain, take care of, take charge of, tend, treasure, treasure up, value, venerate, watch, watch out for, watch over, wet-nurse, worship