pair
noun
\ ˈper
\
\
plural pairs
or pair
Definition of pair
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a(1)
: two corresponding things designed for use together
a pair of shoes
(2)
: two corresponding bodily parts or members
a pair of hands
b
: something made up of two corresponding pieces
a pair of trousers
2a
: two similar or associated things: such as
(1)
: two mated animals
(2)
: a couple in love, engaged, or married
were a devoted pair
(3)
: two playing cards of the same value or denomination and especially of the same rank
(4)
: two horses harnessed side by side
(5)
: two members of a deliberative body that agree not to vote on a specific issue during a time agreed on
also
: an agreement not to vote made by the two members
b
: a partnership especially of two players in a contest against another partnership
3
chiefly dialectal
: a set or series of small objects (such as beads)
pair
verb
paired;
pairing;
pairs
Definition of pair (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to make a pair of
—often used with off or up paired off the animals
b
: to cause to be a member of a pair
c
: to arrange a voting pair between
2
: to arrange in pairs
1
: to constitute a member of a pair
a sock that didn't pair
2a
: to become associated with another
—often used with off or up paired up with an old friend
b
: to become grouped or separated into pairs
—often used with off paired off for the next dance
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Synonyms for pair
Synonyms: Noun
brace, couple, couplet, duo, dyad, twain, twosome
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Examples of pair in a Sentence
Noun
He blushed when he saw all three pairs of eyes watching him. She won with a pair of aces. I got my first pair of glasses when I was eight. His two closest friends lived in the city and the pair of them visited him often. The dance is usually performed by a male and female pair. Those two kids make quite a pair.Verb
The teacher paired students with partners for the assignment.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The remnants of a pair of deadly typhoons will bring strong winds and rain to much of southern Alaska from Wednesday through Friday morning, meteorologists say. — Jeff Parrott, Anchorage Daily News, "Remnants of two typhoons will bring wind and rain to Southcentral Alaska," 11 Sep. 2019 Minnesota has scuffled a bit over recent home games, but that’s mostly due to a pair of series against a tough Cleveland Indians club. — Skip Snow, USA TODAY Sportsbook Wire, "Washington Nationals at Minnesota Twins odds, picks and betting tips," 11 Sep. 2019 For his part, the rapper is shirtless, wearing only a pair of jeans with his diamond necklace and watch. — Julie Mazziotta, PEOPLE.com, "Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Drew Barrymore and 22 More Celebrities Who Posed for Playboy," 10 Sep. 2019 Carnival also has partnered with a pair of charities, World Central Kitchen, which delivers free meals, and Direct Relief, which delivers urgent medical supplies. — Baltimore Sun Staff, baltimoresun.com, "Carnival Pride taking supplies to Bahamas from Baltimore for Hurricane Dorian relief," 9 Sep. 2019 Tagovailoa was able to bail the Tide out of a pair of third-and-long situations in New Mexico State territory during the first half that both led to touchdowns. — Mike Rodak, al, "Grading Alabama’s 62-10 win over New Mexico State," 8 Sep. 2019 Still, with headlines seemingly outpacing the set-up for this 2014 play, the best reason to hitch a ride with this pair might be the chance to see artistically maturing actor GerRee Hinshaw as Beatriz to Adriane Leigh Robinson’s Olivia. — Lisa Kennedy, The Know, "From Steve Martin’s “Bright Star” to Cheryl Strayed’s “Tiny Beautiful Things,” 10 must-see fall plays in Colorado," 8 Sep. 2019 Backing up his dreams with big talk and swagger, Stan is the driving force of the pair, while younger brother Lion does what's required of him, reluctantly but without much complaint. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Jungleland': Film Review | TIFF 2019," 7 Sep. 2019 Powering Campolindo’s offense alongside Harper was fullback Will Windatt, who rushed for a pair of touchdowns. — Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, "Honor Bowl: Campolindo passes test, beats Amador Valley," 7 Sep. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The ride-hailing leaders helped pioneer a new labor model in which people can choose to work on their own schedule, with the companies pairing active drivers with consumers through smartphones and taking a cut of each ride. — NBC News, "Uber, Lyft propose $21 an hour minimum wage for drivers in California," 29 Aug. 2019 Johnson sported a black blouse and black pants, pairing her wardrobe staples with a tan tote bag and brown and white trainers. — Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, "Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin Cozy Up For Date Night in New York City," 29 Aug. 2019 Self-fertilization, like inbreeding in animals, should pair up harmful recessive mutations, so Schwoch expected the crosses that used pollen from one stem on flowers from another to do better. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Meet the monkeyflower, a weed that may hold the key to zebra stripes and other biological mysteries," 29 Aug. 2019 Feast on all-you-can-eat crawfish, corn and potatoes for $35 at 5 p.m. Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, pairing your meal with $6 rosé and $7 punch. — Samantha Nelson, chicagotribune.com, "31 Labor Day weekend barbecues, brunches and parties in Chicago," 28 Aug. 2019 Unlike some of his peers, Steele has adapted to not only defending against up-tempo offenses but achieving great success while paired with such an offense on a daily basis. — al, "Auburn DC Kevin Steele’s scheme will test mettle of Oregon’s Jake Hanson, Justin Herbert," 28 Aug. 2019 Unlike some of his peers, Steele has adapted to not only defending against up-tempo offenses but achieving great success while paired with such an offense on a daily basis. — oregonlive.com, "Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s scheme will test mettle of Oregon’s Jake Hanson, Justin Herbert," 28 Aug. 2019 Simon is working with Arrive chef Alex Resnick to create drinks that pair well with the food and that will be light, shareable and appetizing in the Phoenix heat. — Tirion Morris, azcentral, "Bitter & Twisted owner Ross Simon is opening at pool bar at Arrive Hotel. Here's what we know," 27 Aug. 2019 Quantum radars involve pairing photon particles together, shooting one downrange while keeping the second captive for observation. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "How Quantum Radar Could Completely Change Warfare," 26 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for pair
pair
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pair
(Entry 1 of 2)
: two things that are the same and are meant to be used together
: a thing that has two parts which are joined
: two people who are related in some way or who do something together