pear

noun

ˈper 

1

: a pome fruit of a tree (genus Pyrus, especially P. communis) of the rose family that typically has a pale green or brownish skin, a firm juicy flesh, and an oblong shape in which a broad base end tapers upward to a narrow stem end

2

: a tree bearing pears

Examples of pear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thursday, July 10, Ground Beef Meat Loaf, baked potato, California veggies, pears, whole grain bread, milk. —Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025

The Callery pear tree is considered a significant threat to native land and wildlife. —Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

Bananas, strawberries, apples, mangoes, pears, and kiwis are great candidates for this. —Christina Manian, Health, 18 June 2025

Like apples, pears grow well with flowering plants like chamomile and nasturtiums, but they can also be grown with soil-improving plants such as comfrey or legumes that naturally enrich the soil and reduce the need for fertilizer. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pere, from Old English peru, from Vulgar Latin *pira, from Latin, plural of pirum

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing pear

• alligator pear
• Anjou pear
• Asian pear
• avocado pear
• Bradford callery pear
• Bradford pear
• callery pear
• d'Anjou pear
• go pear-shaped
• pear psylla
• pear-shaped
• prickly pear
• prickly pear cactus
• prickly pear fruit
• vegetable pear

Rhymes for pear

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

Kids Definition

pear

noun

ˈpa(ə)r 

ˈpe(ə)r

: a fruit that is commonly larger at the end opposite the stem and typically has a pale green or brownish skin and juicy flesh

also : a tree that bears pears and is related to the apple