noun pl. cherubs, cherubim , cherubims
- Bible one of the winged heavenly beings that support the throne of God or act as guardian spirits: Ezek. 10
- Christian Theol. any of the second order of angels, usually ranked just below the seraphim
- a representation of one of the cherubim as, in early art, a winged angel clothed in red or, later, a chubby, rosy-faced child with wings
- a person, esp. a child, with a sweet, innocent face
Origin:
ME < OE ceruphin < LL(Ec) cherub < Heb kerūbh < Akkadian karūbu, gracious < karābu, to bless