pear-shaped
Americanadjective
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having the shape of a pear; tapering near the top and bulging toward the base or bottom.
a pear-shaped vase.
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(of a vocal tone) clear, resonant, and without harshness; full-bodied.
Etymology
Origin of pear-shaped
First recorded in 1750–60
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.
Over-the-top, camp and butch, with heavy makeup, big hair and large gestures, the season's most flamboyant, matron-like men put on their drawers to tread the boards and make everything go pear-shaped.
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025
Westinghouse built the silver, pear-shaped device in 1937 and it became known as the “world’s first industrial atom smasher.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
For instance, the green, pear-shaped squash called güisquil — also known as chayote — is native to Mesoamerica and commonly boiled and used in soups or stews.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
They are small, pear-shaped insects that come in a variety of colors, from green, red and yellow to black, brown and gray.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
Someone with an eager, pear-shaped head and a green bun sat writing at a table.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
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.
