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.]-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.-two of a sort; a span; a yoke; a couple; a brace; as, a pair of horses; a pair of oxen.-a married couple; a man and wife.-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.-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.-in a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion.-to be joined in paris; to couple; to mate, as for breeding.-to suit; to fit, as a counterpart.-same as to pair off. see phrase below.-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.-to engage (one's self) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions.-to impair.