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

"Our approach is like taking a wide-angle camera inside the ballroom. Now we can see how the dancers are pairing up and paying attention to one another, so they don't bump into each other."

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

That came so late in the week his chosen pairing, Noussair Mazraoui and Ayden Heaven, could only prepare with walk-throughs.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Will Denyer, chief economist at Gavekal Research, suggests pairing long positions in Brazilian and South Korean Equities: Brazil chiefly as a hedge against ongoing conflict and South Korea as a bet on peace.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Fitting James, Doncic and Reaves together came with growing pains, but pairing James and Kennard has felt simple.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Remarkably, the three R’s of gene physiology are acutely dependent on the molecular structure of DNA—on the Watson-Crick base pairing of the double helix.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

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