n. | 1. | |
| 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. [Now mostly or quite disused.] |
| 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. |
| 5. | A single thing, composed of two pieces fitted to each other and used together; as, a pair of scissors; a pair of pants; 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 (in order, for example, to allow the members to be absent during the vote without affecting the outcome of the vote), or on issues of a party nature during a specified time; as, there were two pairs on the final vote. |
| 7. | (Kinematics) In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion. |
v. i. | 1. | To be joined in pairs; to couple; to mate, as for breeding. |
| 2. | To suit; to fit, as a counterpart. |
| 3. | Same as To pair off. See phrase below. |
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. |
| 2. | To engage (one's self) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions. |
| 1. | To impair. |