Etymologically
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cherub

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 14 October 2026 at 23:54. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈt͡ʃɛ.ɹəb/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Late Latin cherub,[2][3][4][5] from Ancient Greek χερούβ (kheroúb),[3][4][5] from Biblical Hebrew כְּרוּב (kərūḇ),[2][3][4][5][6] perhaps related to Akkadian karābu “to be gracious, to bless”.[3][4] It replaced Middle English cherubin, from Old English cerubin,[3][6] which was taken from the Greek plural.[3][4]

Earliest recorded meaning

Old English cerubin is recorded before 830, in biblical phrases describing the seat of God.[3][7] The modern form cherub, for one of an order of angels, appears about 1384.[3][4]

Semantic evolution

In the Bible the cherubim are winged beings attending God.[1][6] Christian theology made them the second of the orders of angels,[2][6] and in art they came to be shown as winged, rosy-cheeked children.[2][5][6] From this came the sense of a beautiful or innocent-looking child, recorded from 1705,[4] for which the plural is cherubs rather than cherubim.[4][2][5]

Timeline

  • before 830 – Old English cerubin.[3]
  • about 1384 – cherub, one of an order of angels.[3][4]
  • 1705 – a beautiful child.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. (plural cherubim) A winged heavenly being; in Christian tradition, one of the second order of angels.
  2. (plural cherubs) A figure of a small angel shown as a chubby, rosy-faced child.
  3. (plural cherubs) A person, especially a child, with an innocent or chubby face.

Word family

  • cherubic
  • cherubically
  • cherublike
  • seraph
  • angel

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b c d e Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press