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
Sample items: pear and gorgonzola flatbread ($17), burgers (angus or garden patty) on brioche buns, a roasted butternut squash panini ($17) and coq au vin ($29).
—
Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
The baby gets a smattering of fresh fruits including yellow plums ($7.98 for four), raspberries ($8.99 for a double carton), and pears ($2.30 for three).
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
Think Asian pear, crisp guava and floral jasmine flavors.
—Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The state's ban on the Callery pear tree went into effect in February.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
The Callery pear, or Bradford pear, is one of those vampires.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024
Their signature motif, going simply by area, is a pointillist carpet of colors, which may signal a cluster of pear trees or a watery reflection à la Monet.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The difference with French is that the Dublin Murder Squad novels bend and train themselves around each detective’s quirks—Cassie’s hungry confusion, Rob’s baggy vulnerability, Mackey’s slick bravado—like a pear tree espaliered against a sturdy garden wall.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
Always water for the same number of minutes, but gradually water more often into spring, and then summer.
Apply organic fruit tree fertilizer to stone fruit, apple and pear trees.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Apr. 2024
The baby gets a smattering of fresh fruits including yellow plums ($7.98 for four), raspberries ($8.99 for a double carton), and pears ($2.30 for three).
—Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 4 Apr. 2024
Think Asian pear, crisp guava and floral jasmine flavors.
—Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024
The state's ban on the Callery pear tree went into effect in February.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
The Callery pear, or Bradford pear, is one of those vampires.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024
Their signature motif, going simply by area, is a pointillist carpet of colors, which may signal a cluster of pear trees or a watery reflection à la Monet.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
The difference with French is that the Dublin Murder Squad novels bend and train themselves around each detective’s quirks—Cassie’s hungry confusion, Rob’s baggy vulnerability, Mackey’s slick bravado—like a pear tree espaliered against a sturdy garden wall.
—Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024
Always water for the same number of minutes, but gradually water more often into spring, and then summer.
Apply organic fruit tree fertilizer to stone fruit, apple and pear trees.
—Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pear.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pear
Cite this Entry
“Pear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pear. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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