word-vault/dist/data/cards/pa/pair.json

A lightweight JavaScript package for English word definitions and collections.

{
    "term": "pair",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "two things of the same type, especially when they are used or worn together",
            "sensetop": "pair (of something)",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a **pair of shoes/boots**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a pair of gloves/earrings"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She pulled on the pair of socks he handed her."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a huge pair of eyes"
                },
                {
                    "text": "A pair of hands grasped her shoulders."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a pair of aces/kings *(= two playing cards that have the same value)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The winner will receive a pair of tickets to Reykjavik."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The vase is one of a **matching pair**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Vermeer painted the two pictures as a pair."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This sculpture was originally one of a pair owned by the King of France."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a clean pair of socks"
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Clothes and Fashion"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["matching", "identical", "clean"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the pair", "in pairs", "pair of"],
                "phrases": ["one of a pair"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "an object consisting of two parts that are joined together",
            "sensetop": "pair (of something)",
            "labels": "North American English",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a **pair of trousers/pants/jeans**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **pair of glasses/binoculars/scissors**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Buy one pair of glasses and get a second pair free."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He was wearing a nice pair of denim jeans."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Clothes and Fashion"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "two people who are doing something together or who have a particular relationship",
            "labels": "(informal)British English",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Get pairs of students to act out the dialogue in front of the class."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Get the students to do the exercise as **pair work** *(= two students work together)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I've had enough of the pair of you!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They might seem an unlikely pair, but they've been friends for years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I thought they would make a good pair so I arranged for them to meet."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The pair were matched for age."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They make an odd pair."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["happy", "odd"],
                "verb + pair": ["match", "make"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the pair"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "two animals or birds of the same type that are producing young together",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a breeding pair"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a pair of swans"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**pair bonding** *(= the process of animals forming a pair for breeding)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dominant pair is/are called the alpha male and female."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["breeding", "mating", "nesting"],
                "pair + verb": ["breed", "mate"],
                "preposition": ["pair of"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "two horses working together to pull a carriage",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a carriage and pair"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "in groups of two objects or people",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Students worked in pairs on the project."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These candles only come in pairs."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that you are too busy to do anything else",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person who can do, or is doing, a job",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We need an extra pair of hands if we're going to finish on time."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person that you can trust to do a job well",
            "labels": "(especially British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Colleagues regard him as a safe pair of hands."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/peə(r)/",
                "audio": "pa/pair/pair__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/per/",
                "audio": "pa/pair/pair__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: from Old French paire, from Latin paria ‘equal things’, neuter plural of par ‘equal’. Formerly phrases such as a pair of gloves were expressed without of, as in a pair gloves (compare with German ein Paar Handschuhe)."
}