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The Collaborative International Dictionary
To pair off

Pair \Pair\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Paired; p. pr. & vb. n. Pairing.]

  1. To be joined in pairs; to couple; to mate, as for breeding.

  2. To suit; to fit, as a counterpart.

    My heart was made to fit and pair with thine.
    --Rowe.

  3. Same as To pair off. See phrase below.

    To pair off, to separate from a group in pairs or couples; specif. (Parliamentary Cant), to agree with one of the opposite party or opinion to abstain from voting on specified questions or issues. See Pair, n., 6.

Usage examples of "to pair off".

If they've got to pair off to reproduce, I suppose it's natural that a weaker would tend to gravitate toward a stronger.

Then humans had to pair off together and sit, exuding as nihilistic an aura as they could muster.