Showing results for "pairing"

• present participle of pair.

pairing

American  

[pair-ing] / ˈpɛər ɪŋ /

noun

pairings plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pairings
  plural

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

American icon Serena Williams, 44, is making a blockbuster singles comeback after four years away from the sport and also resumes her iconic doubles pairing with sister Venus, 46.

From BBC • Jun. 28, 2026

People will be able to use Snap's Specs without pairing them with a smartphone, and the glasses will project digital objects onto the surrounding environment.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

Evidence suggests that pairing GLP-1 medications with endoscopic procedures or bariatric surgery could lead to greater weight loss and longer-lasting results than either approach alone.

From Science Daily • Jun. 20, 2026

Investors and executives at many space startups say they are pairing real demand with calculated bets on developing technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Once again, the pairing of bases is used to build the gene back.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• union