Definition of the word cherub

The word "cherub" derives from the Hebrew word kerūbīm, which is plural for kerūh, meaning "winged being." In the Old Testament, these winged creatures were pictured as attendants to God's throne, appearing in four faces: that of a man, an ox, an eagle, and a lion. The Greeks adapted this idea from the Hebrews, naming these winged figures Kuruoi, from which the Latin word "quadriga," meaning a four-horse chariot, was formed. In Latin Christian tradition, cherubs came to represent the Angels of Purity and Innocence, as they appeared as young boys with chubby cheeks and wings in art and literature. Today, the word "cherub" is commonly used to refer to a portrayal of a chubby-cheeked infant with wings, often depicted in popular culture and decorative arts.