Link Centre Dictionary

pair

UK/pɛə/ US/pɛɹ/ common informal slang
noun (4) verb (5)

noun

1.

a set of two similar things considered as a unit

Synonyms
2.
3.
4.

a poker hand with 2 cards of the same value

verb

1.

form a pair or pairs

  • “The two old friends paired off”
Synonyms
2.

bring two objects, ideas, or people together

  • “This fact is coupled to the other one”
  • “Matchmaker, can you match my daughter with a nice young man?”
  • “The student was paired with a partner for collaboration on the project”
Synonyms
3.

occur in pairs

Synonyms
4.

arrange in pairs

  • “Pair these numbers”
Synonyms
5.

make love

  • “Birds mate in the Spring”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English paire, from Old French paire, from Latin paria (“equals”), neuter plural of par (“pair”). Related to pār (“equal”, adjective). Compare Saterland Frisian Poor (“pair”), West Frisian pear (“pair”), Dutch paar (“pair”), German Paar (“pair”), Italian paio (“pair”)

Phrases

  • acid-base pair
  • alpha pair
  • another pair of shoes
  • aspectual pair
  • base pair
  • base-pair breathing
  • bottom pair
  • Breit-Wheeler pair production

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.