pear dropn.adj.
/ˈpɛː drɒp/, U.S. /ˈpɛr ˌdrɑp/ A. n.† 3. Astronomy. = black drop n. 2. Obsolete. rare.
1. A pear-shaped jewel, esp. a pendent one in an earring, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > types of ornamentation > jewellery > jewellery of specific shape or form > [noun] > pendant
pendantc1400
pendicle1488
drop1502
pennon1546
pendeloque1623
bob1648
pendulea1699
pear drop1785
dropperc1825
tassel-drop1849
hanger-
1785 Daily Universal Reg. 26 Feb. 1/2 (advt.) To be sold by auction..Sundry capital Jewels. Consisting of fine large and spread India-cut Brilliants, Pear Drops, Laborats, Lasks, &c.
1881 Times 7 Dec. 1/2 (advt.) Four pairs of diamond earrings—two large pear drops and two smaller.
1993 Irish Times (Nexis) 13 Dec. 11 Diamante hearts, stars and pear drops, from 30p each at Crown Jewels, Crown Alley, Temple Bar.
2. A pear-shaped sweet, esp. a boiled sweet flavoured with amyl acetate (Jargonelle pear essence).
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the world > food and drink > food > dishes and prepared food > confections or sweetmeats > sweets > [noun] > a sweet > drop, lozenge, or comfit
comfit1334
pastille1451
table1580
confect1587
violet tables1620
sugar-pluma1668
plum1694
nonpareil1697
rose drop1727
lemon-drop1807
drop1818
jujube1835
pear drop1852
pandrop1877
conversation lozenge1905
cushion1906
fruit drop1907
1852 N.Y. Jrnl. Pharmacy May 149 Considerable quantities of this oil are..sold to confectioners, who employ it chiefly in [printed it] flavoring pear-drops, which are nothing else but barley-sugar, flavored with this oil.
1897 ‘S. Grand’ Beth Bk. iii. 21 Give me a ha'porth of pear drops and a ha'porth of raspberry drops.
1926–7 Army & Navy Stores Catal. 56/1 Boiled sugar sweets... Pear Drops—loose, lb. 1/3.
1958 ‘R. Crompton’ William's Television Show v. 161 Their pockets bulged with..pear drops, mint fancies, almond delight.
1991 Yours Feb. 28/3 When we asked Yours readers to tell us about their phobias they revealed an amazing variety of personal horrors..the smell of pear drops, the dread of balloons, a fear of feathers and [etc.].
ΘΚΠ
the world > the universe > planet > primary planet > inferior planet > [noun] > distorted appearance
black drop1833
pear drop1874
1874 Observatory Notes in Proc. Royal Soc. (1879) 29 298 No ligament or pear-drop seen, though expected and carefully watched for.
1875 Proc. Royal Soc. 1874–5 23 255 Then came ‘the pear-drop’, ‘the ligament’; what should be its length, what its breadth in terms of Venus's diameter, what its shape?
B. adj. (attributive).
Usually with hyphen. Esp. of parts of furniture, etc.: shaped like a pear or pear drop.
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the world > space > shape > curvature > curved three-dimensional shape or body > [adjective] > conical > obconic or pear-shaped
turbinated1615
turbinate1661
pyriform1717
pear-shaped1731
top-shaped1776
obconical1799
obconic1819
pear drop1865
pyriformed1874
1865 Times 25 Apr. 20/2 (advt.) A pair of top and pear-drop earrings of pearls of extraordinary quality.
1914 H. D. Eberlein & A. McClure Pract. Bk. Period Furnit. i. 27 It is necessary for us to know whether a chest or cupboard ought to have knobs, pear drop or bail handles.
1925 J. Penderel-Brodhurst & E. J. Layton Gloss. Eng. Furnit. 121 Pear-drop-handle, a small pendent brass handle in pear-shape form, which came into use in England in the Restoration period.
1960 H. Hayward Connoisseur's Handbk. Antique Collecting 213/1 Pear-drop moulding, a moulding, found below a plain cornice on late 18th cent. bookcases, carved in a repetitive design of inverted pear-shaped forms.
2001 Gloucester Citizen (Nexis) 9 June 20 It..is fitted with two short and three long graduated drawers with brass pear drop handles.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.adj.1785