unpaired

1 of 2

past tense and past participle of unpair

unpaired

2 of 2

adjective

un·​paired ˌən-ˈperd How to pronounce unpaired (audio)
: not paired : such as
a
: not matched or mated
unpaired socks
Brooks Brothers now offers the "Wardrobe" option, which includes unpaired jackets and pants in matching materials, so that a man can shop for a suit the same way a woman does.Mary Lisa Gavenas
b
: being an electron that does not share its orbital with another electron
… free radicals, molecules with unpaired electrons that are eager to pair up.Marla Vacek Broadfoot

Examples of unpaired in a Sentence

Adjective found an unpaired shoe in the back of the closet
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Each man then rejects all but his more preferred suitor, resulting in a tentative match for some contestants, while others remain unpaired. Max Springer, Scientific American, 10 Oct. 2024 Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 13 Aug. 2024 Ginger's antioxidants can help neutralize harmful free radicals, which are molecules with at least one set of unpaired electrons. Johna Burdeos, Health, 2 July 2024 These included stretches where nearby sections of the RNA could base-pair with each other, leaving an unpaired loop of RNA in between. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 26 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for unpaired 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unpaired.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpaired was in 1598

Dictionary Entries Near unpaired

Cite this Entry

“Unpaired.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpaired. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

unpaired

adjective
un·​paired ˌən-ˈpa(ə)rd How to pronounce unpaired (audio)
-ˈpe(ə)rd,
ˈən-
: not paired
especially : not matched or mated
an unpaired shoe

Medical Definition

unpaired

adjective
1
a
: not paired
especially : not matched or mated
b
: characterized by the absence of pairing
electrons in the unpaired state
2
: situated in the median plane of the body
an unpaired anatomical part
also : not matched by a corresponding part on the opposite side
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