pear

noun \ ˈper \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of pear

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

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Recent Examples of pear from the Web

The volcanic land undulates with the largest geothermal fields in the U.S., and fertile valleys yield walnuts, grapes and pears.

— ginny prior, San Francisco Chronicle, "Suite Spot: Revived hotel blends Old West and casual elegance," 4 Apr. 2018
Dream job alert for dairy lovers: Noosa, the company that brought the world blackberry-serrano and pear and cardamom yogurt, is looking for a few yogurt superfans to travel the world looking for the next great flavor.

— melissa locker, Time, "This Company Wants You to Travel the World as a Professional ‘Flavor Finder'," 4 Apr. 2018
Divide potatoes, salmon, celery, and pear among plates.

— chris morocco, Bon Appetit, "Ponzu Roasted Salmon for Two," 19 Mar. 2018
The onetime transporter of Bartlett pears and beets as well as passengers now provides an authentic rail experience, courtesy of the California State Railroad Museum.

— mary forgione, latimes.com, "Best events in Sacramento this spring, from a Gold Rush escape room to an authentic steam train ride," 16 Mar. 2018
With all that on hand, will anyone even need the sticky toffee pudding, poached pear, and hot apple crumble from the dessert menu of Mr. White’s English Chophouse?

— andrew sessa, Condé Nast Traveler, "London's Weird Obsession with American Cereal Invades Hotels," 5 Mar. 2018
This tower features premium pears and apples, milk chocolate Moose Munch® Premium Popcorn, raspberry galettes, and other treats.

— Detroit Free Press, "Win Assortment Of Delicious Delights," 14 Feb. 2018
Glenfiddich 12 is the distillery’s flagship expression, a light and crisp whisky that the folks behind the stills like to describe as having strong notes of pear on the palate.

— jonah flicker, USA TODAY, "The distillery behind Scotland's most-awarded single malt," 9 Jan. 2018
Stuff with sage, remaining pear and remaining 2 sprigs rosemary.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Golden Glazed Turkey and Roasted Pear Gravy," 2 Nov. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pear.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.