pairing

American  

[pair-ing] / ˈpɛər ɪŋ /

noun

1. a coupling.

2. Cell Biology. the lining up of the two homologous chromosomes or chromatids of each chromosome pair in meiosis or mitosis.

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Etymology

Origin of pairing

First recorded in 1605–15; pair + -ing ¹

Explanation

A pairing is a match between two things or people, like the perfect pairing of chocolate and peanut butter. Use this noun for two folks who work together as a perfect unit, like the pairing of your baseball team's pitcher and catcher, or two things that seem made for each other, like the classic pairing of grilled cheese and tomato soup. You can also describe the act of sorting people into pairs this way: "Our family's secret Santa pairing meant that I had to buy a gift for my great uncle again."

Example Sentences

Beyond the tool adaptations, Ferreri said the farm is also shifting to "regenerative" practices, such as plowing the soil less deeply and maximizing space by rotating crops or pairing plants.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

The researchers wanted to see whether pairing these compounds could reduce inflammatory signals more effectively than using them individually.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

The perceived similarity to Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This,” a rom-com pairing a rabbi with an agnostic podcaster, is probably intentional.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2026

The other nine are mixed bills pairing non-narrative works with “Firebird,” created for the troupe in 2012 by Alexei Ratmansky to Stravinsky’s familiar 1910 score.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Always pairing adenine with thymine and guanine with cytosine meant that the base sequences of the two intertwined chains were complementary to each other.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Related Words

• union