sherry

Etymology

Back-formation of earlier sherris (interpreted as a plural), from Spanish (vino de) Xeres (“wine of Xeres”), Xeres being the former spelling of Jerez (pronounced /ʃeˈɾes/ in early modern Andalusian Spanish).

noun

1. (uncountable) A fortified wine produced in Jerez de la Frontera in Spain, or a similar wine produced elsewhere.
   He gazed around until on the lid of a spinet he spotted a promising collection of bottles, gin, whiskey, vermouth and sherry, mixed with violin bows, a flute, a toppling pile of books, six volumes of Grove's Dictionary mingled with paperback thrillers, a guitar without any strings, a pair of binoculars, a meerschaum pipe and a jar half-full of wasps and apricot jam. 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 14, in Crime out of Mind
2. A variety of sherry.
   They produce several quality sherries.
3. A glass of sherry.
   Would you like a sherry?