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

The Chardonnay, which offers notes of ripe pineapple, pear and lemon curd with herbal aromas of tarragon and fennel, retails at an accessible price point of $15 to $25, which is the fastest growing segment of the wine market, Salazar says. —Jeanette Hurt, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025

That roster includes dishes like foie gras truffle with charred onion jam and a house croissant; a wild boar belly and antelope with pistachio, fermented harissa, and yogurt; and an Asian pear sorbet with aloe sabayon and ginger tapioca. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025

Sapodilla, a pear-like fruit that looks like a coconut, adds a malty butterscotch intensity to a sticky toffee pudding. —The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025

About 610 Korean pear juice cases have been recalled, while 78 cases and 197 cases of the grape and jujube juices have been recalled, respectively. —Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 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