sherris arch.
(ˈʃɛrɪs)
Also 6–8 sherries, 7 ceres.
[a. Sp. (vino de) Xeres wine of Xeres (see sherry n.1). The Sp. x, now coincident in sound with j (x), was formerly pronounced (ʃ).
The name of the town appears in the 17th c. as Sherries: e.g. 1626 R. Peeke (title) Three to One: Being an English Spanish Combat, performed..at Sherries in Spain.]
= sherry n.1 1.
| [1540–1 Will of R. Sowethewarke (Somerset Ho.), Twenty buttes of sakes of Sherries.] 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. iii. 111 The second propertie of your excellent Sherris, is, the warming of the Blood:..the Sherris warmes it, and makes it course from the inwards, to the parts extremes. 1876 Browning At the ‘Mermaid’ ii, The sherris mantling Still about each mouth. 1884 Black Jud. Shakespeare xxiv, Lord, Jack, what a sherris that was! |
b. attrib. and
Comb.:
sherris-sack, ‘sack’ imported from Xeres: see
sack n.3 1 b.
| 1876 Browning At the ‘Mermaid’ xviii, Back then to our *sherris-brewage! 1597 *Sherris sack [see sack n.3 1 b]. 1607 Markham Caval. vii. (1617) 36 A pinte of very good Ceres sacke. |
| 1777 W. Dalrymple Trav. Sp. & Port. clxviii, Xeres..is famous for..what we call, *sherries wine. |