pair
n. countablen. two things that are the same and belong together. You also use it for single items made of two parts, like glasses or trousers.
n. two identical or complementary things designed to be used together or regarded as a unit. Also used for single objects consisting of two joined parts.
I need a new pair of shoes.
She bought a matching pair of earrings to wear with her blue dress for the wedding.
The detective noticed a pair of muddy footprints leading away from the window, suggesting that the intruder had fled toward the garden.
From Middle English paire, from Old French paire, from Latin paria (“equals”), neuter plural of par (“pair”). Related to pār (“equal”, adjective). Compare Saterland Frisian Poor (“pair”), West Frisian pear (“pair”), Dutch paar (“pair”), German Paar (“pair”), Italian paio (“pair”)
From Middle English pairen, peiren, shortened form of apeiren, empeiren, from Old French empeirier, empoirier, from Late Latin peiōrō.
Often used with the preposition 'of'. When referring to single items like 'scissors' or 'pants', it is treated as a singular unit ('a pair of').
I bought a new shoesI bought a new pair of shoesPlural-only nouns like shoes, glasses, or trousers require 'a pair of' if you want to use the singular indefinite article 'a'.