pair bond

¹ American  

noun

Animal Behavior.

1. a partnership between a mating couple that lasts through one season, serving primarily in the cooperative rearing of young.

2. the couple that forms such a partnership.

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pair-bond ² American  

[pair-bond] / ˈpɛərˌbɒnd /

verb (used without object)

1. (of a mating couple) to form and maintain a pair bond.

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noun

1. pair bond.

pair bond British  

noun

1. the exclusive relationship formed between a male and a female, esp in some species of animals and birds during courtship and breeding

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Other Word Forms

• pair bonding noun

Etymology

Origin of pair bond¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Origin of pair-bond²

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

To which Levi responds: “What about prairie voles? They pair bond for life.”

From Washington Post • Aug. 20, 2022

Many dogs will be ill-equipped to survive, not having had any lived experiences of obtaining their own food, finding shelter, or forming a workable pair bond.

From Salon • Jan. 22, 2022

“There’s something about forming a pair bond that changes these male prairie voles’ ability to recognize others.

From National Geographic • Sep. 3, 2015

He notes that in the monogamous prairie voles he studies, males that have a pair bond can actually be hostile to other females.

From Time • Nov. 27, 2013

The pair bond was the pivotal event that opened the way to hominid evolution, in Dr. Chapais’s view.

From New York Times • Mar. 14, 2011