A cherub is a type of angel, often depicted in art as a chubby baby or young child with small wings. You've probably seen cherubs in paintings, Valentine's Day cards, or decorating old churches: rosy-cheeked, playful little figures floating in the clouds.

In ancient religious texts, cherubim (the plural of cherub) were actually described as powerful, majestic angels who guarded sacred places. In the Bible, cherubim with flaming swords guarded the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve left. These original cherubim were awesome and mighty beings, quite different from the cute babies we picture today.

The transformation happened during the Renaissance, when European artists began painting cherubs as adorable winged infants. These chubby little angels became hugely popular, especially in Italian art. The most famous might be the two bored-looking cherubs resting their chins on their hands in Raphael's painting The Sistine Madonna.

Today, when someone calls a small child cherubic, they mean the child has an innocent, sweet, angelic face. A cherubic smile is one that makes you think of those rosy-cheeked babies in old paintings. The word suggests both cuteness and innocence, even though the original cherubim were nothing like that at all.