plural pairs or pair
1
a(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
2
a
: 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)
paired; pairing; pairs
1
a
: 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
3
: to establish a connection between (a set of networked devices or systems) or from (a networked device or system)
The Windows app will then walk you through a few steps to pair your phone and PC.—
Jared Newman
Jared NewmanAfter the reset, you will need to pair your watch to your phone once more.—Andy Walker
Andy WalkerBut pairing your phone with your car can be a nightmare sometimes. How and whether you can make it work primarily depends on the smartphone's operating system and the vehicle's technical capabilities.—Claudius Lüder
Claudius Lüder1
: to constitute a member of a pair
a sock that didn't pair
2
a
: 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
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 WebDan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
In the music video, Janson is trying out a pair of binoculars at a Bass Pro Shop and images of wildlife flash across the screen.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
The pair’s exact relationship is still being determined.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
Wearing a pair of compression socks will not only wade off any temptation to clip or file your nails mid-flight, but the socks will also relieve tension by stimulating circulation in your legs and feet to reduce swelling in the air.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Tanner Scott pitched around a pair of singles for his third save in a 3-2 win in game one of a split doubleheader.
—Paul Johnson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Larkin contended Ramirez's testimony had inconsistencies, including where the shooting took place and where the pair were in relation to the border.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
The pair of compounds are part of a larger family of chemical substances known collectively as PFAS.
—Coral Davenport, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The father-daughter pair’s find, which was just six miles away from de la Salle’s, was the smoking gun.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 10 Apr. 2024
The hard pass is especially effective when paired with a refusal to look up from your phone or a disdainful loogie hock.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024
So, the Lunchables described in the article would need to be paired with fruit, vegetables and milk.
—Parija Kavilanz and Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Take a page out of the Duchess’ stylebook by pairing them with a breezy sundress, or try styling them with jeans or shorts for a more casual look.
—Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
To fit that mold, Silverman dyed her hair blonde, and started to pair restriction with intense exercise to lose weight.
—Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
The $79 billion legislation pairs an expansion to the child tax credit — a major priority for President Biden and Democrats that nonpartisan estimates say would lift 400,000 children out of poverty — with business tax incentives initially authorized in 2017 under President Donald Trump.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The addition of cheese and caramelized onions paired well with the slightly sweet burger sauce.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
The movie wonderfully pairs Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, as childhood friends turned high-school and college sweethearts, chasing each other as well as their own dreams of basketball stardom.
—The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
After the Lakers cut it to six in the fourth quarter, Denver got a pair of offensive rebounds before Jokic finally scored on their third attempt.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
In the music video, Janson is trying out a pair of binoculars at a Bass Pro Shop and images of wildlife flash across the screen.
—Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
The pair’s exact relationship is still being determined.
—Lyndsay Winkley, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Apr. 2024
Wearing a pair of compression socks will not only wade off any temptation to clip or file your nails mid-flight, but the socks will also relieve tension by stimulating circulation in your legs and feet to reduce swelling in the air.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Tanner Scott pitched around a pair of singles for his third save in a 3-2 win in game one of a split doubleheader.
—Paul Johnson, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
Larkin contended Ramirez's testimony had inconsistencies, including where the shooting took place and where the pair were in relation to the border.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 19 Apr. 2024
The pair of compounds are part of a larger family of chemical substances known collectively as PFAS.
—Coral Davenport, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024
The father-daughter pair’s find, which was just six miles away from de la Salle’s, was the smoking gun.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024
Verb
Editor's Tip: To double down on your dark spot-reducing skin-care routine, Paula's Choice recommends pairing this serum with the antioxidant-rich C5 Super Boost Moisturizer.
—Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 10 Apr. 2024
The hard pass is especially effective when paired with a refusal to look up from your phone or a disdainful loogie hock.
—Evan Waite, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024
So, the Lunchables described in the article would need to be paired with fruit, vegetables and milk.
—Parija Kavilanz and Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024
Take a page out of the Duchess’ stylebook by pairing them with a breezy sundress, or try styling them with jeans or shorts for a more casual look.
—Averi Baudler, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
To fit that mold, Silverman dyed her hair blonde, and started to pair restriction with intense exercise to lose weight.
—Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
The $79 billion legislation pairs an expansion to the child tax credit — a major priority for President Biden and Democrats that nonpartisan estimates say would lift 400,000 children out of poverty — with business tax incentives initially authorized in 2017 under President Donald Trump.
—Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
The addition of cheese and caramelized onions paired well with the slightly sweet burger sauce.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
The movie wonderfully pairs Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, as childhood friends turned high-school and college sweethearts, chasing each other as well as their own dreams of basketball stardom.
—The New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near pair
Cite this Entry
“Pair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pair. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pair
1 of 2 noun
ˈpa(ə)r 
ˈpe(ə)r
plural pairs also pair
1
: two things that match or are meant to be used together
a pair of hands
a pair of gloves
2
: a thing having two connected matching parts
a pair of scissors
3
: a set of two like or associated things
pair
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a pair of or arrange in pairs
paired off the animals
2
: to form a pair or pairs
paired off for the next dance
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