Definition and pronunciation
pair
Noun — two people or things considered together; sometimes a matched set (a pair of shoes), sometimes any two (a pair of students).
Verb — to join or match two things/people; to form couples (pair up/off).
Pronounced /pɛr/ (rhymes with care).
Easy explanation
Pair means two together. As a verb, it means put two things together or form couples. We also say a pair of before certain nouns like scissors or jeans.
Part of speech and grammar
- Count noun: a pair; the pair; several pairs.
- “A pair of” with pluralia tantum: a pair of scissors/jeans/binoculars → treat pair as singular (This pair is new), but the base noun by itself is plural (The scissors are sharp).
- Determiner pattern: a pair of + plural noun (a pair of socks).
- Verb forms: pair, paired, pairing.
- Phrasal verbs: pair up (form pairs), pair off (form couples), pair with (match/coordinate).
Register and tone
Neutral and widely used in everyday, technical, and literary English. Works in formal and informal contexts.
Connection to sexuality
Indirect. Pair itself is not sexual. It can describe romantic partners (a married pair; the pair paired off), and pair-bond in biology refers to a long-term mating bond. Use precise wording if you mean sexual or romantic activity.
Common collocations
- Objects: pair of shoes/socks/jeans/scissors/glasses/binoculars/earbuds.
- People: married pair, dance pair, doubles pair (tennis), pairs figure skating, comedy pair, power pair.
- Verbal: pair up students, pair off at the end of class, pair A with B, Bluetooth pairing, food-and-wine pairing.
- Math/tech: ordered pair, key–value pair, pair programming, pairing function.
Idioms and set phrases
- pair off — people form couples or teams.
- pair up — form pairs for a task.
- in pairs — arranged two by two.
- a pair of hands — help or assistance: We need another pair of hands.
- a good/bad pair — a well- or ill-matched duo.
- pair bond — long-term mating bond in animals (and metaphorically in people).
Prepositions and nuance
- pair with — match/complement: Pair citrus with fatty fish.
- pair A with B / pair A to B (tech) — connect or associate: Pair your phone with the headset.
- pair up/off — form teams/couples: Students paired up for the lab; the guests paired off on the dance floor.
- a pair of + noun — the standard quantity frame: a pair of gloves.
- in pairs — arrangement: Enter in pairs for safety.
Word comparisons
- pair vs couple — pair is neutral for two of a kind; couple often implies a romantic relationship or “approximately two” in casual speech.
- pair vs duo/twosome/dyad — near-synonyms; duo is common in performance contexts, dyad in technical/psychology contexts.
- pair vs set — set can include more than two and emphasizes completeness.
- pair vs match — match stresses compatibility; pair stresses quantity or linking.
Real-life examples
- Please bring a pair of comfortable shoes for the hike.
- The director paired new hires with mentors for onboarding.
- They paired off naturally during the group exercise.
- Bluetooth pairing failed—reset and try again.
- That comedy pair sold out the theater.
- The sommelier suggested pairing the lamb with a Syrah.
Sample sentences
- Grab a pair of gloves before going into the lab.
- Let’s pair up and compare notes.
- The finalists were neck and neck—the defending pair barely won.
- Pair this navy jacket with gray trousers.
- Swans often form pair bonds that last for years.
Synonyms
pairing (noun), duo, dyad, twosome, couple, brace (hunting), yoke, match, set (contextual), partner (as a verb)
Antonyms
single, individual, singleton, separate, detach, divide, unpair, split up
Related terms
pair up, pair off, pair with, pairing, pair-bond, Bluetooth pairing, ordered pair, key–value pair, matching, set, doublet, couple, partners
Notes and etiquette
- Keep of after pair in standard writing (a pair of socks, not a pair socks).
- With pluralia tantum, choose your subject carefully: This pair of jeans is new; These jeans are new.
- In technical contexts (math/CS), define whether you mean an ordered pair (x,y)(x, y) or an unordered set {x,y}\{x, y\}.
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