See Also: au pair(dictionary)
au pair(dictionary)
pair(1)(dictionary)
pair(3)(dictionary)
pair(4)(dictionary)
Two Pair(casino)
pair(2)(dictionary)
Au pair(health)
Pair(medicine)
Pair(casino)

pair(2) (iou)



pair noun1. Pl. -s, after numeral sometimes (now chiefly non-standard) same. ME.
[Old & mod. French paire, from Latin paria neut. pl. of par equal.]
I. A couple; a set of two.
A set of two individual persons or things, esp. of the same kind, that are associated or complementary in use, purpose, position, etc. Also, the second member of such a set as related to the first. ME.
pair of gloves, pair of lips, pair of shoes, pair of stirrups, pair of wings, etc.
T. Callender It had four pairs of buttons down the double-breast. V. Brome Jones had to face the formidable pair in person.
b. ellipt. A pair of breasts, cards, horses, oars, spectacles, etc. E18.
M. Amis Who was that tart?..She's got a right pair on her.
c. Either or both of two members of a legislative assembly on opposite sides who absent themselves from a vote by mutual arrangement so as not to affect the outcome. Also, an agreement to do this. E19.
New Statesman One minister..was flatly refused a pair by his Tory opposite number. J. Archer I'm the Labour member..and I was hoping you hadn't yet found yourself a pair.
d. Mechanics. Two mechanical elements that together constitute a kinematic set. L19.
e. In basket-making, two rods of willow or cane worked alternately over and under one another. L19.
A single article of clothing, tool, etc., consisting of two joined or corresponding parts not used separately. ME.
pair of compasses, pair of scissors, pair of tights, pair of trousers, etc.
gen. Foll. by of: a couple, a few. Now rare. ME.
J. Speed Fewer by a paire of thousands.
Two individuals of opposite sexes; spec. (a) two animals mated together; (b) two persons engaged or married to each other; (c) two partners in a dance. LME.
II. A collection.
A set of separate things or parts collectively forming a whole, as (a) a string of beads; (b) a pack of cards. Now dial. rare. ME.
A company of miners working together. dial. M19.
Phrases: (A selection of cross-refs. only is included: see esp. other nouns) another pair of shoes: see SHOE noun. be a pair colloq. (of two people) (a) be of the same kind; (b) be as bad as one another. happy pair: see HAPPY adjective. lone pair: see LONE adjective etc. LONG-TAIL pair. MINIMAL pair. ordered pair: see ORDERED 2b. pair of arrows a set of three arrows. pair of bagpipes: see BAGPIPE 1. pair of breeches: see BREECH noun 1b. pair of cards (a) a pack of cards; (b) two cards of the same denomination or value. pair of colours: see COLOUR noun 7b. pair of hands fig. a person esp. one available for a menial task. pair of horses two horses harnessed abreast and running together. pair of knickers: see KNICKERS 2. pair of knives: see KNIFE noun. pair of oars: see OAR noun. pair of spectacles: see SPECTACLE noun1. pair of stairs a flight of stairs. pair of stays: see STAY noun2 3. pair of steps (a) (now rare or obsolete) a flight of steps; (b) a portable self-supporting set of steps for use in a library etc., a stepladder. pair of wheels colloq. a two-wheeled vehicle. pair royal a set of three persons or things of the same kind, esp. three cards of the same denomination (cf. PRIAL). post and pair: see POST noun3. show a clean pair of heels: see CLEAN adjective. stereo pair: see STEREO noun2 & adjective1. TWISTED pair. two pair (of stairs), three pair (of stairs), etc., a second, third, etc., floor or storey. would not touch with a pair of TONGS.
Comb.: pair-bond noun & verb (a) noun the relationship formed during courtship and mating of a pair of animals or two people; (b) verb intrans. form a pair-bond; pair-bonding (the patterns of behaviour that establish) the formation of a pair-bond; pair-feed verb trans. feed two groups of (experimental animals) with a diet identical except for an item whose effects are being tested; pair-formation the pairing of animals, esp. birds, in preparation for breeding; pair-horse attrib. adjective having or intended for a pair of horses; pair-mate verb trans. test the sexual compatibility of (experimental animals) by allowing mating within and between either of two groups; control the mating of (experimental animals) so that each male mates with only one female, or vice versa; pair-oar a boat rowed by a pair of oars; pair-oared adjective (of a boat) rowed by a pair of oars; pair production Nuclear Physics the conversion of a gamma-ray photon into an electron and a positron; pair-skating skating performed by pairs; pair-toed adjective (of a bird) having the toes in pairs, two in front and two behind.