cheer
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /t͡ʃɪə̯/
ipa: /t͡ʃɪɹ/
ipa: /t͡ʃiə/
ipa: /t͡ʃiːɹ/
note: East Anglia, cheer–chair merger
ipa: /t͡ʃɛː/
rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)
homophone: chair (cheer–chair merger)
homophone: chare (cheer–chair merger)
Forms: form: cheers
Etymology: From Middle English chere, from Anglo-Norman chere, from Old French chiere (“head, face; appearance; reception, hospitality; meal, dinner, food”) (Modern French chère), from Late Latin cara (“head”).
Senses: examples: text: I have not that alacrity of spirit, / Nor cheer of mind, that I was wont to have.
ref: c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii]:
glosses: A cheerful attitude; happiness; a good, happy, or positive mood.
examples: text: a table loaded with good cheer
text: "And am I to meet my Mary at Moffat? Come away, little, dear, welcome body, thou blessed of heaven, come away, and taste of an auld shepherd's best cheer, and I'll gang foot for foot with you to Moffat, and my auld wife shall gang foot for foot with us too. I tell you, little, blessed, and welcome crile, come along with me."
ref: 1828, James Hogg, Mary Burnet:
text: “[…]the awfully hearty sort of Christmas cards that people do send to other people that they don't know at all well. You know. The kind that have mottoes like
 Here's rattling good luck and roaring good cheer, / With lashings of food and great hogsheads of beer.[…].”
ref: 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 1, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
glosses: That which promotes good spirits or cheerfulness, especially food and entertainment prepared for a festive occasion.
examples: text: Three cheers for the birthday boy!
text: A cheer rose from the crowd.
text: Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet! / Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!
ref: 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “A Welcome to Alexandria. March 7, 1863.”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 164:
synonyms: word: applause
word: plaudit
word: clap
word: clapping
word: acclaim
word: acclamation
word: laudits
antonyms: boo
glosses: A cry expressing joy, approval or support, such as "hurrah".
glosses: A chant made in support of a team at a sports event.
examples: text: And soo on the morne they were alle accorded that they shold departe eueryche from other / And on the morne they departed with wepynge chere / and euery knyȝt took the way that hym lyked best
ref: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “viij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XIII:
english: And so they all agreed that they should depart from each other in the morning / And in the morning they departed with weeping faces / and every knight took the way that pleased him best
translation: And so they all agreed that they should depart from each other in the morning / And in the morning they departed with weeping faces / and every knight took the way that pleased him best
bold_translation_offsets: 126
131
text: Heraclitus taking pitie and compassion of the very same condition of ours, was continually seene with a sad, mournfull, and heavie cheere [translating visage], and with teares trickling downe his blubbered eyes.
ref: 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 50, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
text: ‘thorough evill rest of this last night, / Or ill apayd or much dismayd ye be; / That by your change of cheare is easie for to see.’
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
glosses: One's facial expression or countenance.
examples: text: And anon he talked with them, and sayde unto them: be of good chere, it is I, be not afrayed.
ref: 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Mark:
text: The parents […] fled away with heavy cheer.
ref: 1659, T[itus] Livius [i.e., Livy], “(please specify the book number)”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Romane Historie […], London: […] W. Hunt, for George Sawbridge, […], →OCLC:
glosses: One's attitude, mood.
Derived terms: bellycheer
Bronx cheer
cheerful
cheerish
cheerleader
cheerless
cheerly
cheermaster
cheersome
Christmas cheer
countercheer
cup that cheers
encheer
good cheer
three cheers
what cheer
wotcher