n. - 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, except as to stairs.]
n. - 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.
n. - Two of a sort; a span; a yoke; a couple; a brace; as, a pair of horses; a pair of oxen.
n. - A married couple; a man and wife.
n. - 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.
n. - 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.
n. - In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion.
v. i. - To be joined in paris; to couple; to mate, as for breeding.
v. i. - To suit; to fit, as a counterpart.
v. i. - Same as To pair off. See phrase below.
v. t. - 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.
v. t. - To engage (one's self) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions.
v. t. - To impair.
- A union of two conductors, as bars or wires of dissimilar metals joined at their extremities, for producing a thermoelectric current.