pear
Americannoun
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the edible fruit, typically rounded but elongated and growing smaller toward the stem, of a tree, Pyrus communis, of the rose family.
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the tree itself.
noun
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a widely cultivated rosaceous tree, Pyrus communis, having white flowers and edible fruits
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the sweet gritty-textured juicy fruit of this tree, which has a globular base and tapers towards the apex
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the wood of this tree, used for making furniture
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informal to go wrong
the plan started to go pear-shaped
Other Word Forms
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”
Vocabulary lists containing pear
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.
From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026
And fruits, which range from varieties of pear to bright citruses like orange and grapefruit.
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026
Its pear production ranks first in Europe and third globally, but just five modern varieties -- none of which are Italian -- account for over 80 percent of its output.
From Barron's • Nov. 14, 2025
He looked as if he’d bitten into a rotten pear.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
