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

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”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pear pears

With flavors of pear, melon, nutmeg, the wine has a long finish and pairs with just about everything.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 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

She has a piece with prickly pear cactus as well as datura in it, which is crazy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

We knew there was a lot of water inside a prickly pear, even if Stormy didn’t have a clue.

From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac

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

Whole fruits included apples, oranges, bananas, mangos, grapes, pears, melons, strawberries and peaches.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 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

Broadly painted still lifes from the 1930s, with apples and pears transformed into flat, declarative shapes, have the physical presence of “The Lace Shawl,” with a very different mood and affect.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 3, 2026

A third stage involved fruit trees that proved much harder to cultivate, including apples, pears, plums, and cherries.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond