pear

[ pair ]

noun

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.

pear

/ 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. go pear-shaped informal.
   go pear-shaped to go wrong

   the plan started to go pear-shaped

Other Words From

• pearlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pear¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pear¹

Old English pere, ultimately from Latin pirum

Example Sentences

You can throw whole apples and pears in there without thinking twice, and like magic, juice will appear before your eyes.

From Popular-Science

Fruit fanThis works best with firmer fruits such as apples and pears.

From Washington Post

Look for flavors of apple and pear, and pair with salty appetizers.

From Washington Post

The kitchen would warm with the scent of pears and lemons roasting with spices.

From Washington Post

Feel around the stem, and if the pear gives a little right there at the top, you’ve got the just-right Goldilocks of pears.

From Washington Post

At the most basic level, most ciders are produced using a blend of sweet, sour, and bitter apple and pear varieties.

From The Daily Beast

In schnaps, however, Subirer aromas are transformed into those of a caramelized pear tart, buttery, baked, and entirely pleasant.

From The Daily Beast

Subirer, for example, is a small bitter pear that grows in the Alps, near Lech.

From The Daily Beast

Its name roughly translates to “pig pear,” referencing the only animals contented to eat it.

From The Daily Beast

PEGG: For most British people, the first time they get drunk is with cider—or Thunderbird pear wine.

From The Daily Beast

It bears beautiful yellow blossoms in summer, after which comes the fruit, a prickly pear, not good to eat.

From Project Gutenberg

Occasionally there was a figure which had lost its capital, and so looked like a broken pillar, a sugar loaf, a pear.

From Project Gutenberg

The condensers were pear shaped in section, and built of mild steel plates.

From Project Gutenberg

Near to the kopje there was a garden surrounded by low trees and a hedge of prickly pear.

From Project Gutenberg

The little cottage was shut in on one side by a hedge of aloes and prickly pear and on the other by high cliffs and precipices.

From Project Gutenberg