sherris: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very low / ObsoleteArchaic, literary, historical
Quick answer
What does “sherris” mean?
An archaic or poetic term for sherry, a fortified wine from Jerez, Spain.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An archaic or poetic term for sherry, a fortified wine from Jerez, Spain.
Historically used to refer to the wine itself, often implying a sack or strong, sweet variety consumed in earlier centuries.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No contemporary difference; both dialects use 'sherry'. 'Sherris' is equally archaic in both.
Connotations
Evokes Elizabethan or early modern England. In the UK, might be recognized from Shakespeare ('Henry IV, Part 2'). In the US, less culturally immediate.
Frequency
Effectively zero in modern usage for both.
Grammar
How to Use “sherris” in a Sentence
[Subject] drinks [sherris][sherris] warms the bloodVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Only in historical or literary analysis of early modern texts.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Not used in oenology; 'sherry' is the technical term.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “sherris”
- Using it in modern contexts.
- Treating it as a plural (e.g., 'two sherris').
- Misspelling as 'sherries' (which is the plural of sherry).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, yes. It's the original Early Modern English form, a corruption of 'Jerez', the Spanish region. Language regularisation led to the modern 'sherry'.
Only in very specific contexts: quoting historical texts, writing historical fiction, or for deliberate poetic/archaic effect. In normal speech, it will sound odd or be misunderstood.
A compound term from the 16th-17th centuries. 'Sack' (from Spanish 'saca', meaning 'export') referred to a class of dry, fortified white wines imported from Spain. 'Sherris-sack' was sherry from Jerez.
To aid comprehension of historical literature, most notably the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries, where the word appears.
An archaic or poetic term for sherry, a fortified wine from Jerez, Spain.
Sherris is usually archaic, literary, historical in register.
Sherris: in British English it is pronounced /ˈʃɛrɪs/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈʃɛrɪs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sherris-sack (specifically a sweet, strong sherry)”
- “Good sherris-sack... ascends me into the brain (Shakespeare)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'SHERlock' drinking 'sherris' in a historical drama. Sherris = Sherlock's drink.
Conceptual Metaphor
SHERRIS IS A HUMOURAL AGENT (historical: it was believed to affect the body's humours, warming blood and cheering the spirit).
Practice
Quiz
In modern English, the word 'sherris' is best described as: