pear

Etymology

From Middle English pere, from Old English pere, common North and West Germanic, from Vulgar Latin *pira, originally the plural of Latin pirum but reconstrued as a feminine singular. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Peere (“pear”), Dutch peer (“pear”), Danish pære (“pear”), Swedish päron (“pear”), Icelandic pera (“pear”).

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɛə/
• (General American) enPR: pâr, IPA^(key): /pɛɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛə(r)
• Homophones: pair, pare

Noun

pear (plural pears)

1. An edible fruit produced by the pear tree, similar to an apple but elongated towards the stem.
2. (also pear tree) A type of fruit tree (Pyrus communis).
3. The wood of the pear tree (pearwood, pear wood).
4. Choke pear (a torture device).

See also

• warden

Anagrams

• Earp, Pera, Rape, aper, pare, prae-, præ-, rape, reap

Alternative forms

• piar

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *pilare, from Latin pīla (“pillar”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /peˈaɾ/

Noun

pear m (plural peares)

1. pillar

   Synonym: columna

2. window sill

   Synonym: peitoril

3. one of several stone pillars placed by way of a bridge

   Synonym: poldra

References

• “pear” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006-2012.
• “piar” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
• “pear” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “pear” in Santamarina, Antón (coord.): Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
• “piar” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Etymology

From Old Frisian pār, from Latin pār. More at pair.

Noun

pear n

1. pair; couple