Pair

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pair \Pair\ (p[^a]r), n. [F. paire, LL. paria, L. paria, pl. of
     par pair, fr. par, adj., equal. Cf. {Apparel}, {Par}
     equality, {Peer} an equal.]
     [1913 Webster]
     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.]
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                 Two crowns in my pocket, two pair of cards.
                                                    --Beau. & Fl.
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     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.
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     3. Two of a sort; a span; a yoke; a couple; a brace; as, a
        pair of horses; a pair of oxen.
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     4. A married couple; a man and wife. "A happy pair."
        --Dryden. "The hapless pair." --Milton.
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     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.
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     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. [Parliamentary Cant]
  
     Note: A member who is thus paired with one who would have
           voted oppositely is said to be paired for or paired
           against a measure, depending on the member's position.
           [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     7. (Kinematics) In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies,
        which are so applied to each other as to mutually
        constrain relative motion.
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     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}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {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}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     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."
            [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
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              Glossy jet is paired with shining white. --Pope.
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     2. To engage (one's self) with another of opposite opinions
        not to vote on a particular question or class of
        questions. [Parliamentary Cant]
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     {Paired fins}. (Zool.) See under {Fin}.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pair \Pair\, v. t. [See {Impair}.]
     To impair. [Obs.] --Spenser.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pair \Pair\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Paired}; p. pr. & vb. n.
     {Pairing}.]
     1. To be joined in pairs; to couple; to mate, as for
        breeding.
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     2. To suit; to fit, as a counterpart.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              My heart was made to fit and pair with thine.
                                                    --Rowe.
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     3. Same as {To pair off}. See phrase below.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {To pair off}, to separate from a group 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.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pair
       n 1: a set of two similar things considered as a unit [syn: {brace}]
       2: two items of the same kind [syn: {couple}, {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 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}, {twin}]
       3: occur in pairs [syn: {geminate}]
       4: arrange in pairs; "Pair these numbers" [syn: {geminate}]
       5: make love; "Birds mate in the Spring" [syn: {copulate}, {mate},
           {couple}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  237 Moby Thesaurus words for "pair":
     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