Meaning & use
Russian pear
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A pear grown in Russia or of a variety traditionally cultivated there, often small, firm, and slightly tart.
Grammar: Countable: one Russian pear, two Russian pears.
Patterns
- a Russian pear
- Russian pears
- a variety of Russian pear
The market stall sold small Russian pears that were crisp and only mildly sweet.
She poached the Russian pears in honey because they were too hard to eat raw.
nouncountable
Any pear cultivar associated with Russia, such as those used for cooking or preserving.
Grammar: Countable and often used in the plural when talking about types.
Patterns
- Russian pear varieties
- grow Russian pears
The orchard specializes in Russian pear varieties that survive cold winters.
He grafted a Russian pear onto a hardy rootstock.
Word forms
| plural | Russian pears |
|---|
Common combinations
- Russian pear tree
- A Russian pear tree can tolerate frost better than many dessert pears.
- Russian pear variety
- This Russian pear variety ripens late in the season.
- grow Russian pears
- They grow Russian pears in the colder parts of the country.
- sweet Russian pear
- The sweet Russian pear is best eaten fresh.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pear
- The general word for the fruit; 'Russian pear' is more specific about origin or type.
Word family
- pear noun
- The fruit itself, without reference to Russia.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'Russian pear' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A single countable fruit needs 'a': 'a Russian pear'. Option 2 omits the article, option 3 mixes singular article with plural noun, and option 4 is plural without a determiner in a context that usually needs one.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Russian pear”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.