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

At Cafe Cuil on the Isle of Skye, the menu features properly traditional, coarse pinhead oats soaked in oat milk overnight and finished with a seasonal topping – currently, hazelnut brittle praline and poached pears. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026

Where lettuce splashed with vinaigrette can feel like an afterthought, a juicy, savory-slanting pear salad is worth making room for on a plate full of turkey and cornbread. — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026

But what happens when the season shifts, when the cloying good cheer of—groan—the holiday season comes with its candy stripes and jingle bells and partridges in pear trees? — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 Oct. 2026

Currently, Magpie Cafe is offering a dish of pork belly with pears, frisee, pickled onions and a sweet-spicy glaze. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026

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