pear

American  

[pair] / pɛər /

noun

• pears
  plural

1. the edible fruit, typically rounded but elongated and growing smaller toward the stem, of a tree, Pyrus communis, of the rose family.

2. the tree itself.

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pear British  

/ pɛə /

noun

1. a widely cultivated rosaceous tree, Pyrus communis, having white flowers and edible fruits

2. the sweet gritty-textured juicy fruit of this tree, which has a globular base and tapers towards the apex

3. the wood of this tree, used for making furniture

4. informal to go wrong

   the plan started to go pear-shaped

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• pearlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pears
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of pear

First recorded before 1000; Middle English pe(e)re, Old English peru, from Late Latin pira, feminine singular use of plural of Latin pirum (neuter) “pear”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pear pears

The event in Cheshire will not take place this October following a significantly reduced harvest from the estate's collection of about 300 apple and pear trees.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

Faizi said that the village, which once produced only apples and walnuts, now has cherry, pear, and peach trees, among others.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

The Aire Sutileza Elixir is floral, fresh and earthy, featuring notes of pear, lemon, jasmine sambac, vetiver, sandalwood and musk.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

A few days later, I made a decadent three-tiered espresso martini cake for my best friend’s 27th birthday, followed by a poached pear frangipane tart and a berry pavlova that I shared with my roommate.

From Salon ● Dec. 13, 2025

I would’ve gotten in and said, “Take me to the place where children’s dreams come true if they aren’t eliminated for being too pear shaped or not being able to juggle.”

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Before the joint statement was issued, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham told the BBC that "we're talking about apples and pears" when asked about the donations to Reform and those from trade unions.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

But then, it’s hard not to smile at the playfully elegant Bosc pears, puckered mandarins and green-and-purple asparagus taper candles which range in price from $12 to $40.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

Other pizzas that piqued my interest include a half-white-and-half-red sauce pizza topped with candied bacon, ham, sweet onions, fennel and basil, and a blue cheese-focused pizza topped with pears, rosemary, shallots and onions.

From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026

They are found in foods such as apples, pears, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, cocoa, and other common smoothie ingredients.

From Science Daily ● May 24, 2026

The next day the saguaros and prickly pears were fat from drinking as much as they could, because they knew it might be a long, long time until the next rain.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

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