Par vs. Pair — What's the Difference?

The number of strokes a first-class player should normally require for a particular hole or course

Two corresponding persons or items, similar in form or function and matched or associated

The face value of a share or other security, as distinct from its market value

One object composed of two joined, similar parts that are dependent upon each other

A paragraph

Two persons who are married, engaged, or dating.

Play (a hole) in par

Two persons who have something in common and are considered together

An amount or level considered to be average; a standard

Two mated animals.

An equality of status, level, or value; equal footing

Two animals joined together in work.

The established value of a monetary unit expressed in terms of a monetary unit of another country using the same metal standard.

(Games) Two playing cards of the same denomination.

See par value.

Two members of a deliberative body with opposing opinions on a given issue who agree to abstain from voting on the issue, thereby offsetting each other.

(Sports) The number of golf strokes considered necessary to complete a hole or course in expert play.

(Chemistry) An electron pair.

To score par on (a hole or course) in golf.

To arrange in sets of two; couple

Equal to the standard; normal

To combine or join (one person or thing) with another to form a pair

Of or relating to monetary face value.

To form pairs or a pair

Abbr of paragraph

To join with another in love or mating.

Abbr of parenthesis

Two similar or identical things taken together; often followed by of.

Abbr of parish

One of the constituent items that make up a pair.

Equal value; equality of nominal and actual value; the value expressed on the face or in the words of a certificate of value, as a bond or other commercial paper.

Two people in a relationship, partnership or friendship.

Equality of condition or circumstances.

Used with binary nouns (often in the plural to indicate multiple instances, since such nouns are plural only, except in some technical contexts)

The allotted number of strokes to reach the hole.

A couple of working animals attached to work together, as by a yoke.

A hole in which a player achieves par.

(cards) A poker hand that contains two cards of identical rank, which cannot also count as a better hand.

(UK) An amount which is taken as an average or mean.

(cricket) A score of zero runs (a duck) in both innings of a two-innings match.

Abbr of parallel

A double play, two outs recorded in one play.

(in compounds) By; with.

A doubleheader, two games played on the same day between the same teams

To reach the hole in the allotted number of strokes.

(rowing) A boat for two sweep rowers.

To associate, to chill, to hang.

(slang) A pair of breasts

See Parr.

(slang) A pair of testicles

Equal value; equality of nominal and actual value; the value expressed on the face or in the words of a certificate of value, as a bond or other commercial paper.

The exclusion of one member of a parliamentary party from a vote, if a member of the other party is absent for important personal reasons.

Equality of condition or circumstances.

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.

An amount which is taken as an average or mean.

(archaic) A number of things resembling one another, or belonging together; a set.

The number of strokes required for a hole or a round played without mistake, two strokes being allowed on each hole for putting. Par represents perfect play, whereas bogey makes allowance on some holes for human frailty. Thus if par for a course is 75, bogey is usually put down, arbitrarily, as 81 or 82. If par for one hole is 5, a bogey is 6, and a score of 7 strokes would be a double bogey.

(kinematics) In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion; named in accordance with the motion it permits, as in turning pair, sliding pair, twisting pair.

By; with; - used frequently in Early English in phrases taken from the French, being sometimes written as a part of the word which it governs; as, par amour, or paramour; par cas, or parcase; par fay, or parfay.

(transitive) To group into one or more sets of two.

(golf) the standard number of strokes set for each hole on a golf course, or for the entire course;

(computing) to link two electronic devices wirelessly together, especially through a protocol such as Bluetooth

A state of being essentially equal or equivalent; equally balanced;

(transitive) To bring two (animals, notably dogs) together for mating.

Make a score (on a hole) equal to par

(intransitive) To come together for mating.

To engage (oneself) with another of opposite opinions not to vote on a particular question or class of questions.

(intransitive) To suit; to fit, as a counterpart.

To impair, to make worse.

To become worse, to deteriorate.

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.]

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 pants; 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 (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.

In a mechanism, two elements, or bodies, which are so applied to each other as to mutually constrain relative motion.

To be joined in pairs; 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.

A set of two similar things considered as a unit

Two items of the same kind

Two people considered as a unit

A poker hand with 2 cards of the same value

Form a pair or pairs;

Bring two objects, ideas, or people together;

Occur in pairs

Arrange in pairs;

Make love;