Forms: α. 4 sidir, sidre, sidur, sydir, sydur, sydyr, cidre, 4–7 sider, 5 sidere, cedyr, 5–8 syder, 6 sydre, cydar, 6–7 sydar, 6–9 cyder, 7 cidar, (cidyer), 6– cider. β. 4 siþer, syþere, sither(e, sithir, cither, cyther, 4–5 syther. [ME. sidre, siþer, etc., a. OF. sidre (now cidre), corresp. to It. sidro, cidro; Sp. sidra fem., OSp. sizra. Although the phonetic history of the word in Romanic presents difficulties, there can be no doubt that it represents late L. sicera (med.L. cisara, cisera), Gr. σίκερα, a word used by the LXX, the Vulgate, and Christian writers to translate Heb. shēkār intoxicating liquor, ‘strong drink,’ of the O.T., f. shākar to drink deeply or to intoxication. It is not clear where or how the phonetic change from sicera to sidra took place; but perh. the intermediate link was sizra (sitsra, sidzra): cf. F. ladre from Lazarus. In common use cidre had already acquired the sense of ‘fermented drink made from apples’ before it was taken into English. But the earlier sense of ‘strong drink’ generally was retained in translation of, and allusions to, the Vulgate; and in this sense the word had often forms much nearer to the Latin, as ciser, cisar, cyser, seser: these forms are not used in the sense ‘cider’: see SICER.]
1. A beverage made from the juice of apples expressed and fermented. Formerly including fermented drinks prepared from some other fruits.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 8. Inne sithere, ne inne pereye.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. liii. (1495), 894. Hony cometh of floures, sidre of frute, and ale of corne.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 64. Cedyr drynke, cisera.
1464. Mann. & Househ. Exp., 184. He hathe ȝeven me a tone of syder.
1576. Foxe, A. & M., I. 260/1. This ague he [K. John] also encreased … by eating Peaches and drinking of new Ciser, or as we call it Sider.
a. 1626. Bacon, New Atl., 5. A kind of Sider made of a Fruit of that country.
1663. Boyle, Usefulness Exper. Philos., II. 175. ’Tis known, that Sydar, Perry, and other Juyces of Fruits, will afford such a spirit.
1708. J. Philips, Cyder, II. My mill Now grinds choice apples and the British vats O’erflow with generous cider.
1714. Fr. Bk. of Rates, 36. Beer, Syder, or Perry, per Ton 01 06.
1767. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Prov. Mass., i. 57. A barrel full of cyder.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 614. The farmers of the neighbourhood had made haste … to send hogsheads of their best cider as peace offerings to the victors.
1875. Jevons, Money (1878), 6. The farm labourer may partially receive payment in cider.
† b. Formerly used in Biblical passages, or allusions to them, alongside of ciser, cisar, cyser, etc., to render L. sicera of the Vulgate ‘strong drink.’ Obs. (See SICER.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12679 (Cott.). Þis iacob … Iesu broþer … he dranc neuer cisar [v.r. ciser, sider, cidre] ne wine.
1382. Wyclif, Judg. xiii. 4. Be war thanne, lest thou drynke wyn and sither [1388 sydur]. Ibid. Prov. xxxi. 6. Ȝiueth cither [1388 sidur] to mornende men. Ibid. Luke i. 15. He schal not drynke wyn and sydir [v.r. cyser, cyther; 1388 sidir].
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, L iij b. He shold drync no wyn ne no maner of syther.
1497. Bp. Alcock, Mons Perfect., Ej 3. Saynt John Baptyst, which ete neuer flesshe, dranke no wyne nor cydre.
2. attrib. and Comb., as cider-apple, -barrel, -bibber, -counties, -country, -fruit, -maker, -making, -orchard, -tree: cider-and (colloq.), ‘cider mixed with spirits or some other ingredient’ (Davies) (? obs.); cider-brandy, a kind of brandy distilled from cider; cider-cellar, a cellar in which cider is stored; name of a drinking-shop and place of entertainment in Maiden-lane, London; cider-cup, a beverage consisting of cider sweetened and iced, with various flavoring ingredients; cider-house, a building in which cider is made; cider-man, one who makes or sells cider; cider-marc [see MARC], the refuse pulp, etc., left after pressing apples for cider; † cider-master, a manufacturer of cider; cider-mill, a mill in which apples are crushed for making cider; cider-press, a press in which the juice of the crushed apples is expressed for cider; cider-pressings sb. pl., the pulp, etc., left after expressing the juice for cider; cider-wring = cider-press.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, I. xvi. They had a pot of *cyder-and at the fire. Ibid. Smoaking their pipes over some Cyder-and.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 1019. The best situations for the growth of the *cyder apple.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess. Poet., Wks. (Bohn), I. 160. The *cider-barrel, the log-cabin.
1866. Miss Thackeray, Vill. Cliff, xvi. The old *cider-bibbers at Pélottiers.
1823. Blackw. Mag., XIII. 514. At *cider-cellar hours, when that famed potation-shop was in its days of glory.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xxiv. The lucrative see of Worcester was vacant; and some powerful Whigs of the *cider country wished to obtain it for John Hall.
1876. Besant & Rice, Gold. Butterfly, xliii. 328. He drank some *cider-cup.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 111. There cannot be an over-stocking of the Country with them, especially of *Syder-fruits.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng. (1889), I. iii. 166. Worcester, the queen of the *cider land.
1671. H. Stubbe, Reply, 17. From his own *Cider-maker.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 216. September … *Cider-making continues.
1706. Lond. Gaz., No. 4287/4. Richard Peake, late of London, *Cyderman.
1664. Evelyn, Pomona, Gen. Advt. (1729), 94. Care is taken by discreet *Cider-Masters. Ibid. (1675), Terra (1776), 63. [A] bed of *Cyder-marc, rotten fruit and garden offal.
1688. Lond. Gaz., No. 2374/4. Mr. George Brown *Sider-Merchant at the *Sider-Mill in High Holborn.
1676. Beal, in Phil. Trans., XI. 584. The Cider-mill, or *Cider-press invented by Mr. Hook.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 225. Sow … Pomace of *Cider-Pressings to raise Nurseries.
1530. Palsgr., 270. *Sydre tree, pommier.
