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pear

(pâr)

1. Any of several trees of the genus Pyrus in the rose family, having glossy leaves and white flowers, especially P. communis, widely cultivated for its edible fruit.

2. The fruit of any of these trees, having gritty, juicy flesh and usually a shape that is spherical at the base and tapering toward the stalk.

[Middle English pere, from Old English peru, a fruit of the pear tree, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *pira, from Latin, pl. of pirum; akin to Greek apion, pear (both Greek and Latin being borrowed from the same unknown source).]

(click for a larger image)

pear

left: Comice

center: Starkrimson

right: Bosc

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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