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

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

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.

From BBC ● Mar. 28, 2026

I started with hamachi topped with Asian pear and serrano, finished tableside with a tamarind ponzu.

From Salon ● Mar. 7, 2026

I ate them, myself, sometimes; for pear apples are good eating.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

Today Mexico is the largest export market for U.S. producers in 13 agriculture categories including pork, poultry, dairy, cheese, apples, pears, wheat, corn and rice.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

Apples, carrots, cooked broccoli and pears contain 80% to 89% water, as do oranges, grapes and pineapple.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 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

Ambrose Spike, now sufficiently recovered, sat in the storeroom taking stock: lots of nuts and preserved berries from last autumn; apples and pears aplenty.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques