pair

¹ American  

[pair] / pɛər /

noun

• pairs,
  plural
• pair
  plural

1. two identical, similar, or corresponding things that are matched for use together.

   a pair of gloves;

   a pair of earrings.

2. something consisting of or regarded as having two parts or pieces joined together.

   a pair of scissors;

   a pair of slacks.

3. two individuals who are similar or in some way associated.

   a pair of liars;

   a pair of seal pups.

4. a married, engaged, or dating couple.

5. two mated animals.

6. a span or team.

   a pair of horses.

7. Government.

   1. two members on opposite sides in a deliberative body who for convenience, as to permit absence, arrange together to forgo voting on a given occasion.

   2. the arrangement thus made.

8. Cards.

   1. two playing cards of the same denomination without regard to suit or color.

   2. pairs, two card players who are matched together against different contestants.

9. pairs, pair skating.

10. Also called kinematic pair. Mechanics. two parts or pieces so connected that they mutually constrain relative motion.

11. Philately. two postage stamps joined together either vertically or horizontally.

12. a set or combination of more than two objects forming a collective whole.

    a pair of beads.

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verb (used with object)

• pairs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• paired,
  past participle,  past
• pairing
  present participle

1. to arrange or designate in pairs or groups of two.

   She paired dancers for the waltz contest.

2. to form into a pair, as by matching, joining, etc.; match; couple.

   to pair freshly washed socks.

3. (of animals) to cause to mate.

verb (used without object)

• pairs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• paired,
  past participle,  past
• pairing
  present participle

1. to separate into pairs or groups of two (usually followed byoff ).

   to pair off for a procession.

2. to form a pair or pairs.

3. to be a member of a pair.

4. to match with or resemble another.

5. to unite in close association with another, as in a business partnership, friendship, marriage, etc.

6. (of animals) to mate.

7. Government. (in a deliberative body) to form or arrange a pair.

idioms

1. grow a pair, to act in a stereotypically manly way, as by being brave.

   Stop the whining and grow a pair!

pair ² American  

[per] / pɛr /

adjective

1. French. noting any even number, especially in roulette.

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pair ¹ British  

/ pɛə /

noun

1. two identical or similar things matched for use together

   a pair of socks

2. two persons, animals, things, etc, used or grouped together

   a pair of horses

   a pair of scoundrels

3. an object considered to be two identical or similar things joined together

   a pair of trousers

4. two people joined in love or marriage

5. a male and a female animal of the same species, esp such animals kept for breeding purposes

6. parliamentary procedure

   1. two opposed members who both agree not to vote on a specified motion or for a specific period of time

   2. the agreement so made

7. two playing cards of the same rank or denomination

   a pair of threes

8. one member of a matching pair

   I can't find the pair to this glove

9. cricket a pair of spectacles (the cricketing term) See spectacles

10. rowing See pair-oar

11. dialect a group or set of more than two

12. logic maths

    1. a set with two members

    2. an ordered set with two members

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verb

1. (often foll by off) to arrange or fall into groups of twos

2. to group or be grouped in matching pairs

   to pair socks

3. to join or be joined in marriage; mate or couple

4. (when tr, usually passive) parliamentary procedure to form or cause to form a pair

   18 members were paired for the last vote

pair ² British  

/ per /

adjective

1. a Scot word for poor

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pair More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing pair

• show one's (a clean pair of) heels

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Grammar

When used without a modifier, pairs is the only possible plural: Pairs of skaters glided over the ice. When modified by a number, pairs is the more common form, especially referring to persons: Six pairs of masked dancers led the procession. The unmarked plural pair is used mainly in reference to inanimate objects or nonhumans: He has three pair (or pairs ) of loafers. Two pair (or pairs ) of barn owls have nested on our property. Pair signifying two individuals can take either a singular or plural verb, but it is usually followed by a plural verb and referred to by a plural pronoun: The guilty pair have not been seen since their escape. In the sense “a set or combination of more than two objects forming a collective whole,” pair occurs chiefly in fixed phrases: a pair of beads; a pair of stairs. This use is now somewhat old-fashioned. See also collective noun, couple.

Usage

Like other collective nouns, pair takes a singular or a plural verb according to whether it is seen as a unit or as a collection of two things: the pair are said to dislike each other; a pair of good shoes is essential

Synonym Usage

Pair, brace, couple, span, yoke are terms for groups of two. Pair is used of two things naturally or habitually associated in use, or necessary to each other to make a complete set: a pair of dice. It is used also of one thing composed of two similar and complementary parts: a pair of trousers. Brace is a hunter's term, used of a pair of dogs, ducks, etc., or a pair of pistols or slugs: a brace of partridges. In couple the idea of combination or interdependence has become greatly weakened; it may be used loosely for two of anything ( a couple of apples ), and even for more than two: I have to see a couple of people. Span is used of a matched pair of horses harnessed together side by side. Yoke applies to the two animals hitched together under a yoke for drawing and pulling: a yoke of oxen.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unpaired
  adjective
• well-paired
  adjective
• pairwise
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• pair
  plural
• pairs
  plural

Participles

• pairing
  present
• paired
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pair
  simple
• pairs
  simple
• have paired
  perfect
• has paired
  perfect
• am pairing
  progressive
• are pairing
  progressive
• is pairing
  progressive
• have been pairing
  perfect progressive
• has been pairing
  perfect progressive

Past

• paired
  simple
• had paired
  perfect
• was pairing
  progressive
• were pairing
  progressive
• had been pairing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pair
  simple
• will have paired
  perfect
• will be pairing
  progressive
• will have been pairing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pair¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English paire, from Old French, from Latin pāria, plural (taken as feminine singular) of pār “pair, partner,” also “equal, matching”; see par ¹

Origin of pair²

First recorded in 1820–30; from French: literally, “even,” from Latin pār “pair, partner,” also “equal, matching”; cf. par ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A pair is something that comes in a set of two — like a pair of shoes or a pair of tennis players who make great doubles partners. Pair can also work as a verb. Think of Noah pairing animals on the ark so he could save their species from the flood. And, along those same lines, the verb to pair is sometimes used to mean reproductive pairing (something pairs of shoes wouldn't dream of doing).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pair pairs paired pairing

The company that began in Switzerland with a pair of scissors and some garden hose is now conquering America.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

Just four months after getting engaged, the pair walked down the aisle on the Isle of Arran.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

With the Dodgers’ lead cut to one run, Skubal labored through the rest of the sixth inning, issuing a pair of walks, his first of the game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

Zips were used to modulate the length of skirts, they ran across leather jackets and down a flared blue pair of trousers.

From Barron's ● Oct. 3, 2026

Kedzie had befriended the two youngest sisters, while suggesting that they tour on their own, as a pair.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

The company is offering new designs that mimic its coveted vintage pairs, like the 517 jeans featured in “Love Story,” the hit show chronicling the romance between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

At that point, the Cooper pairs responsible for superconductivity begin to break apart.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Imagery taken on 24 September shows six pairs of ships docked or paired together near the port.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

But the highest-priority strategy should be to work on a Siri agent that pairs with Apple Pay, Mohan argued.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026

The stone floor is so freezing cold I can feel it through both pairs of my socks.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

The nearly 5-year-old eagle has perched and sung with Shadow, who first paired up with Jackie in 2018.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

"This should be an easier sell to licence fee payers if expanding the base is paired with a drop in the individual cost."

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

At the other end, paired optical detectors directly produce an authenticity score for each video.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026

Our chef, Floyd Cardoz, had come from the famed four-star restaurant Lespinasse and paired impeccable technique with a preternatural understanding of Indian spices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

He’d paired up with two other veterans, both former military officers who had extensive political and military connections.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Tickets are sold with or without a drink pairing, but the vibe is that of being invited to a secret society, a meeting of the world’s foremost minds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

The pairing of a promising new drug with Zepbound was highly effective in a mid-stage clinical trial but also led to more side effects than expected, Lilly announced Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

Starting Monday, Carney hosts an investment summit that officials have likened to a matchmaking exercise, pairing companies pitching projects with some of the world’s top asset managers responsible for investing over $100 trillion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Any question marks over Nordqvist's captaincy had revolved around repeatedly pairing her two star English players together over the first two days.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

I can tell by the look on Arlo’s face that he, too, thinks it’s an odd pairing.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Related Words

• combination
• couple
• duo
• match
• team
• two