What does cider mean?

Key facts

• Two dictionary meanings. Merriam-Webster's first sense is "fermented apple juice often made sparkling by carbonation or fermentation in a sealed container"; its second is "the expressed juice of fruit (such as apples) used as a beverage or for making other products (such as applejack)". [1]
• UK and US usage. Cambridge defines British cider as "an alcoholic drink made from apples", which Americans call hard cider, and American cider as "juice from crushed apples, used as a drink or to make vinegar". [2]
• Age of the word. Merriam-Webster dates the first known use in English to the 13th century. [1]

For the drink itself, see the guide what is cider.

Where does the word cider come from?

Merriam-Webster traces cider back through Middle English and Anglo-French to Late Latin sīcera, "alcoholic drink", borrowed from Greek síkera and ultimately from Hebrew shēkhār. [1] In Middle English it could also mean any "alcoholic drink" in Bible translations. Merriam-Webster adds that sīcera was likely applied to fermented fruit juice, especially from apples, "in monasteries, particularly in non-wine-producing areas of Europe such as Normandy". [1] That is why the French "cidre", the Spanish "sidra" and the English "cider" look so alike; local names are listed in the guide to what cider is.

Does cider mean the same thing in the UK and the US?

No, and that causes confusion. Cambridge marks the alcoholic meaning as British, with "US hard cider" as the American equivalent, and marks the fresh-juice meaning as American, where British English would say apple juice. [2] In the UK, the law also sets rules for what can be sold as cider; see what counts as cider in the UK. In the US, "cider" on its own usually means unfiltered fresh apple juice, and the fermented drink is hard cider; see what sweet cider is. The differences in style are covered in English vs American cider.

What does cider mean in other countries?

• Australia. Cambridge notes "rough cider" as an Australian English term for the alcoholic drink. [2]
• France and Spain. The French word is "cidre", which Merriam-Webster gives as the source of the English word, and Cambridge translates cider into Spanish as "sidra". [1] [2]
• Elsewhere in Europe. Many languages use a related word for fermented apple juice; the guide to what cider is lists the local names.

What does cider mean in law?

Legal definitions are narrower than the dictionary ones. In UK duty law, cider must be under 8.5% alcohol, and "At least 35% apple or pear juice must be included in any mixture from which fermentation takes place". [3] US federal guidance uses "cider" and "hard cider" for "wine fermented from apples (including apple juice or concentrate)", but notes that the terms have different meanings in tax law and in labelling law. [4] The UK rules are covered in what counts as cider in the UK, and the French ones in how French cider is made.

Cider is also not a beer, even when sold next to one; see is cider beer. For the French drink in particular, see where French cider is made.

Related answers: what sweet cider is · English vs American cider

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Cider, perry, calvados and pommeau are alcoholic drinks. Enjoy responsibly and follow the legal drinking age where you live.