mating vs pairing

mating and pairing both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
mating	Yes	No	No	No
pairing	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, mating and pairing are synonyms defined as:

mating and pairing: the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes

Other synonyms of mating include conjugation, coupling, sexual union, union.

mating (noun)	pairing (noun)
the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes	the act of pairing a male and female for reproductive purposes
	the act of grouping things or people in pairs