2.223 'pair of'

Some plural nouns refer to things which are normally thought to consist of two parts, such as trousers or scissors. Some others refer to things which are made in twos, such as shoes or socks. When you want to talk about one of these two-part items, or two-item sets, you can use the partitive 'pair' linked to these plural nouns by 'of'.

• ...a pair of jeans.
• ...a pair of tights.
• ...a dozen pairs of sunglasses.
• I bought a pair of tennis shoes.
• I smashed three pairs of skis.

These plural nouns are explained in paragraphs 1.42 to 1.47.