pair

Noun

1. Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.
2. Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.
3. Two people in a relationship, partnership or friendship.
4. Used with binary nouns (often in the plural to indicate multiple instances, since such nouns are plural only, except in some technical contexts).
5. A couple of working animals attached to work together, as by a yoke.
6. A poker hand that contains two cards of identical rank, which cannot also count as a better hand.
7. A score of zero runs (a duck) in both innings of a two-innings match.
8. (informal) A double play, two outs recorded in one play.
9. (informal) A doubleheader, two games played on the same day between the same teams.
10. A boat for two sweep rowers.
11. (slang) A pair of breasts.
12. (slang) A pair of testicles.
13. (Australia) The exclusion of one member of a parliamentary party from a vote, if a member of the other party is absent for important personal reasons.
14. Two members of opposite parties or opinion, as in a parliamentary body, who mutually agree not to vote on a given question, or on issues of a party nature during a specified time.
15. (archaic) A number of things resembling one another, or belonging together; a set.
16. In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion; named in accordance with the motion it permits, as in turning pair, sliding pair, twisting pair.

Verb

1. (transitive) To group into one or more sets of two.
2. to link two electronic devices wirelessly together, especially through a protocol such as Bluetooth.
3. (transitive) To bring two (animals, notably dogs) together for mating.
4. (intransitive) To come together for mating.
5. (slang) To engage (oneself) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions.
6. (intransitive) To suit; to fit, as a counterpart.

Verb

1. (obsolete, transitive) To impair, to make worse.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To become worse, to deteriorate.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pɛə(ɹ)/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: paire

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Poor

Cognate with Western Frisian: pear

Cognate with Dutch: paar

Cognate with German: Paar

In summary

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”)

Synonyms

couple

👫

two

brace

mate

🧉

match

set

double

duo

twosome

unite

both

twin

yoke

attach

couplet

copulate

husband and wife

geminate

twain

2

dyad

combine

two people

partner off

join

counterpart

span

duet

twins

paired

dual

duad

distich

two persons

both of them

class

spouse

spouses

even

pair off

antithesis

species

mates

combination

marry

double up

doublet

close together

classifier

blend

denomination

Translations

paire

Paar

paio

par

par

coppia

👫

paar

pareja

👫

couple

👫

ζευγάρι

apparier

para

koppel

👫

stel

👫

tweetal

Sentences

The pair argued and were unreasonable toward each other .

This helps pair programmers to learn to communicate more easily .

The pair are then seen in bed , implying that Richard has taken Jane's virginity .