cider

Cider traces back to Hebrew שֵׁכָר (šēḵār, "liquor"), which passed into Ancient Greek as σίκερα (síkera, "fermented liquor, strong drink"), then into Medieval Latin as sīcera. From there it moved through Old French cisdre/sidre into Middle English sider, cidre, sidre, and finally English cider.

The word began as a general term for strong fermented drink in Hebrew and Greek, but by the time it settled into English it had narrowed to mean specifically the fermented apple beverage we know today, partially displacing the older English term "apple wine."

Cider is a doublet of cyser, meaning the two words share the same deep root but arrived in English by different paths.