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: Pâ Pæ Pè Pé Pœ P- P. P/ P< Pa Pb Pc Pd Pe Pf Ph Pi Pj Pk Pl Pm Pn Po Pp Pr Ps Pt Pu Pv Pw Px Py
Pear
CIDE DICTIONARY
Pear, n. [OE. pere, AS. peru, L. pirum: cf. F. poire. Cf. Perry.].
The fleshy pome, or fruit, of a rosaceous tree (Pyrus communis ), cultivated in many varieties in temperate climates; also, the tree which bears this fruit. See Pear family , below. [1913 Webster]
Pear blight. (a) (Bot.) A name of two distinct diseases of pear trees, both causing a destruction of the branches, viz., that caused by a minute insect (Xyleborus pyri ), and that caused by the freezing of the sap in winter. A. J. Downing. (b) (Zoöl.) A very small beetle (Xyleborus pyri ) whose larvæ bore in the twigs of pear trees and cause them to wither. -- Pear family (Bot.), a suborder of rosaceous plants (Pomeæ ), characterized by the calyx tube becoming fleshy in fruit, and, combined with the ovaries, forming a pome. It includes the apple, pear, quince, service berry, and hawthorn. -- Pear gauge (Physics), a kind of gauge for measuring the exhaustion of an air-pump receiver; -- so called because consisting in part of a pear-shaped glass vessel. -- Pear shell (Zoöl.), any marine gastropod shell of the genus Pyrula , native of tropical seas; -- so called from the shape. -- Pear slug (Zoöl.), the larva of a sawfly which is very injurious to the foliage of the pear tree.
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Pear, n.
1 a yellowish or brownish-green fleshy fruit, tapering towards the stalk.
2 any of various trees of the genus Pyrus bearing it, esp. P. communis.
1 a yellowish or brownish-green fleshy fruit, tapering towards the stalk.
2 any of various trees of the genus Pyrus bearing it, esp. P. communis.
Idiom
pear-drop a small sweet with the shape of a pear.
Etymology
OE pere, peru ult. f. L pirum
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