pear

American  

[pair] / pɛər /

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.

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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

• pearlike adjective

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

You’ve been up Kindcreek Road before; it cuts through a wild patch of hill country, flanked by fruiting prickly pears and disheveled oak.

From Literature

Coffee pecan torte, spiced pear sponge with miso caramel.

From BBC

The 2026 picks are commonly consumed favorites, including strawberries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, cherries, apples, blackberries, pears and blueberries.

From Salon

On Camino Escalante, Guthrie’s squat, orange brick house is set back from the road behind a lawn planted with prickly pear, agave, cholla and yucca.

From The Wall Street Journal

And fruits, which range from varieties of pear to bright citruses like orange and grapefruit.

From Salon