dry to sweet amber wine from the Jerez region of southern Spain or similar wines produced elsewhere; usually drunk as an aperitif
"She poured a glass of dry sherry as an appetizer before dinner."
A fortified wine produced in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, or a similar wine produced elsewhere.
"The sommelier poured a glass of golden sherry to accompany the blue cheese plate."
In plain English: Sherry is a sweet, slightly alcoholic drink made from fermented grapes that people often serve with food.
"She poured herself a glass of sherry to toast her friends before dinner."
Usage: Do not confuse this term with the verb "to sherry," which means to treat something like sherry; instead, use "fortify" if describing the winemaking process. In culinary contexts, it is often used as an adjective (e.g., sherry chicken) rather than a noun when modifying other ingredients.
A female given name from English, from the sherry wine, or a variant of Cheri.
"After deciding to take her middle name Sherry as a nod to her favorite drink, she signed the document with just that first name."
Sherry is actually a back-formation derived from sherris, which originally described wine produced in the Spanish town of Jerez. The name entered English via this earlier plural form referring to "wine of Xeres."