Adjacent Words

Pair definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PAIR, n. [L. par; Heb. to join, couple or associate.]
1. Two things of a kind, similar in form, applied to the same purpose,and suited to each other or used together; as a pair of gloves or stockings; a pair of shoes; a pair of oxen or horses.
2. Two of a sort; a couple; a brace; as a pair of nerves; a pair of doves. Luke 2.
PAIR, v.i. To be joined in pairs; to couple, as, birds pair in summer.
1. To suit; to fit; as a counterpart.
Ethelinda,
My heart was made to fit and pair with thine.
PAIR, v.t. To unite in couples; as minds paired in heaven.
1. To unite as correspondent, or rather to contrast.
Glossy jet is paired with shining white.
PAIR, v.t. To impair. [See Impair.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a set of two similar things considered as a unit [syn: pair, brace]
2: two items of the same kind [syn: couple, pair, twosome, twain, brace, span, yoke, couplet, distich, duo, duet, dyad, duad]
3: two people considered as a unit
4: a poker hand with 2 cards of the same value v
1: form a pair or pairs; "The two old friends paired off" [syn: pair, pair off, partner off, couple]
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" [syn: match, mate, couple, pair, twin]
3: occur in pairs [syn: pair, geminate]
4: arrange in pairs; "Pair these numbers" [syn: pair, geminate]
5: engage in sexual intercourse; "Birds mate in the Spring" [syn: copulate, mate, pair, couple]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun (plural pairs or pair) Etymology: Middle English paire, from Anglo-French, from Latin paria equal things, from neuter plural of par equal Date: 14th century 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: 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 dialect a set or series of small objects (as beads) II. verb Date: 1606 transitive verb 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 intransitive verb 1. 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>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a set of two persons or things used together or regarded as a unit (a pair of gloves; a pair of eyes). 2 an article (e.g. scissors, trousers, or pyjamas) consisting of two joined or corresponding parts not used separately. 3 a an engaged or married couple. b a mated couple of animals. 4 two horses harnessed side by side (a coach and pair). 5 the second member of a pair in relation to the first (cannot find its pair). 6 two playing cards of the same denomination. 7 Parl. either or both of two MPs etc. on opposite sides absenting themselves from voting by mutual arrangement. --v.tr. & intr. 1 (often foll. by off) arrange or be arranged in couples. 2 a join or be joined in marriage. b (of animals) mate. 3 Parl. form a pair. Phrases and idioms: in pairs in twos. pair production Physics the conversion of a radiation quantum into an electron and a positron. pair royal a set of three cards of the same denomination. Etymology: ME f. OF paire f. L paria neut. pl. of par equal

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Thermoelectric couple Ther`mo*e*lec"tric couple or pair pair (Elec.) A union of two conductors, as bars or wires of dissimilar metals joined at their extremities, for producing a thermoelectric current.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pair Pair, v. t. 1. To unite in couples; to form a pair of; to bring together, as things which belong together, or which complement, or are adapted to one another. Glossy jet is paired with shining white. --Pope. 2. To engage (one's self) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions. [Parliamentary Cant] Paired fins. (Zo["o]l.) See under Fin.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pair Pair, v. t. [See Impair.] To impair. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pair Pair, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Paired; p. pr. & vb. n. Pairing.] 1. To be joined in paris; to couple; to mate, as for breeding. 2. To suit; to fit, as a counterpart. My heart was made to fit and pair with thine. --Rowe. 3. Same as To pair off. See phrase below. To pair off, to separate from a company in pairs or couples; specif. (Parliamentary Cant), to agree with one of the opposite party or opinion to abstain from voting on specified questions or issues. See Pair, n., 6.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pair Pair, n. [F. paire, LL. paria, L. paria, pl. of par pair, fr. par, adj., equal. Cf. Apparel, Par equality, Peer an equal.] 1. A number of things resembling one another, or belonging together; a set; as, a pair or flight of stairs. ``A pair of beads.'' --Chaucer. --Beau. & Fl. ``Four pair of stairs.'' --Macaulay. Note: [Now mostly or quite disused, except as to stairs.] Two crowns in my pocket, two pair of cards. --Beau. & Fl. 2. Two things of a kind, similar in form, suited to each other, and intended to be used together; as, a pair of gloves or stockings; a pair of shoes. 3. Two of a sort; a span; a yoke; a couple; a brace; as, a pair of horses; a pair of oxen. 4. A married couple; a man and wife. ``A happy pair.'' --Dryden. ``The hapless pair.'' --Milton. 5. A single thing, composed of two pieces fitted to each other and used together; as, a pair of scissors; a pair of tongs; a pair of bellows. 6. 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; as, there were two pairs on the final vote. [Parliamentary Cant] 7. (Kinematics) In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion. Note: Pairs are named in accordance with the kind of motion they permit; thus, a journal and its bearing form a turning pair, a cylinder and its piston a sliding pair, a screw and its nut a twisting pair, etc. Any pair in which the constraining contact is along lines or at points only (as a cam and roller acting together), is designated a higher pair; any pair having constraining surfaces which fit each other (as a cylindrical pin and eye, a screw and its nut, etc.), is called a lower pair. Pair royal (pl. Pairs Royal) three things of a sort; -- used especially of playing cards in some games, as cribbage; as three kings, three ``eight spots'' etc. Four of a kind are called a double pair royal. ``Something in his face gave me as much pleasure as a pair royal of naturals in my own hand.'' --Goldsmith. ``That great pair royal of adamantine sisters [the Fates].'' --Quarles. [Written corruptly parial and prial.] Syn: Pair, Flight, Set. Usage: Originally, pair was not confined to two things, but was applied to any number of equal things (pares), that go together. Ben Jonson speaks of a pair (set) of chessmen; also, he and Lord Bacon speak of a pair (pack) of cards. A ``pair of stairs'' is still in popular use, as well as the later expression, ``flight of stairs.''

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pairs, pairing, paired) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. A pair of things are two things of the same size and shape that are used together or are both part of something, for example shoes, earrings, or parts of the body. ...a pair of socks. ...trainers that cost up to 90 pounds a pair... 72,000 pairs of hands clapped in unison to the song. N-COUNT: usu with supp 2. Some objects that have two main parts of the same size and shape are referred to as a pair, for example a pair of trousers or a pair of scissors. ...a pair of faded jeans. ...a pair of binoculars. N-COUNT: usu with supp 3. You can refer to two people as a pair when they are standing or walking together or when they have some kind of relationship with each other. A pair of teenage boys were smoking cigarettes... N-SING 4. If one thing is paired with another, it is put with it or considered with it. The trainees will then be paired with experienced managers. VERB: usu passive, be V-ed with n • pairing ...the pairing of these two fine musicians. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n 5. see also au pair 6. If you say that someone is or has a safe pair of hands, you mean that they are reliable and will not make any serious mistakes. (BRIT JOURNALISM) He has now held five cabinet posts and remains a safe pair of hands. PHRASE: PHR after v

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

par: The margin of So 4:2 (but not of the parallel 6:6) reads, "which are all of them in pairs," while the text has, "whereof every one hath twins." The Hebrew math'imoth, is from the root, ta'am, "to be double," and is perhaps susceptible of either meaning. But the description is of sheep, and the margin gives no comprehensible figure, while the text points to the exceedingly sleek and healthy appearance. "Pairs" seems to result from confusing the figure with the thing figured--the teeth, where each upper is paired with the corresponding lower.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Two (of the same kind or suited to each other). 2. Couple, brace. 3. Span, couple. 4. Yoke, couple. II. v. a., v. n. 1. Couple, mate. 2. Suit, fit.

Moby Thesaurus

Gaussian integer, accouple, accumulate, ace, affiliate, agglomerate, agglutinate, aggregate, aggroup, algebraic number, ally, amass, articulate, assemble, associate, band, band together, batch, be in cahoots, best bower, bond, both, bower, brace, bracket, bridge, bridge over, bring together, bulk, bunch, bunch together, bunch up, cabal, cardinal, cardinal number, cards, cement, cement a union, centralize, chain, clap together, club, club together, clubs, clump, cluster, collect, colligate, collocate, combine, come together, compare, compile, complex number, comprise, concatenate, confederate, conglobulate, conglomerate, conjoin, conjugate, connect, consociate, conspire, copulate, corral, couple, couple up, couplet, cover, craps, cumulate, deck, defective number, deuce, diamonds, dig up, distich, double, double harness, double-harness, double-team, doublet, doubleton, draw together, dredge up, drive together, duad, duet, dummy, duo, dyad, embrace, encompass, equipage, even number, face cards, federalize, federate, finite number, flush, four-in-hand, fraction, full house, gang, gang up, gather, gather in, gather together, get in, get together, glue, go in partners, go in partnership, group, hand, hearts, hook up with, imaginary number, impair, include, infinity, integer, irrational, irrational number, jack, join, join forces, join fortunes with, join together, join up with, join with, joker, juxtapose, king, knave, knot, lay together, league, left bower, link, look-alikes, lump together, make up, marry, marshal, mass, match, matching pair, mate, mates, merge, mixed number, mobilize, muster, ordinal, organize, pack, pair off, partner, picture cards, piece together, playing cards, polygonal number, prime number, pure imaginary, put together, queen, raise, rake up, rally, randem, rational, rational number, real, real number, rectangular number, rig, roll into one, round, round number, round up, royal flush, rubber, ruff, scrape together, serial number, set, set of two, singleton, snake eyes, solder, spades, span, spike, spike team, splice, stand together, stand up with, stick together, straight, surd, take in, take up, tandem, tape, team, team up, team up with, team with, the two, three-up, throw in with, tie, tie in with, tie up with, transcendental number, transfinite number, trey, trick, trump, turnout, twain, twin, twins, two, twosome, unicorn, unify, unionize, unite, unite with, wed, weld, whip in, whole number, yoke