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paper

Syllabification: (pa·per)
Pronunciation: /ˈpāpər/

Translate paper | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of paper

noun

  • 1material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on, or as wrapping material:a sheet of paper [as modifier]:a paper bag
  • a newspaper.
  • wallpaper.
  • (usually papers) a piece or sheet of paper with something written or drawn on it:he riffled through the papers on his desk
  • (papers) significant or important documents belonging to a person:the personal papers of major political figures
  • [as modifier] denoting something that is officially documented but has no real existence or little merit or use:a paper profit
  • a government report or policy document:a recently leaked cabinet paper
  • (papers) documents attesting identity; credentials:two men stopped us and asked us for our papers
  • short for commercial paper.
  • short for cigarette paper.
  • 2an essay or thesis, especially one read at an academic lecture or seminar or published in an academic journal.
  • 3 theatrical slang free passes of admission to a theater or other entertainment.

verb

[with object]
  • 1apply wallpaper to (a wall or room):the walls were papered in a Regency stripe
  • [no object] (paper something over) cover a hole or blemish with wallpaper.
  • (paper something over) disguise an awkward problem instead of resolving it:the ill feeling between her and Jenny must have been papered over
  • 2 theatrical slang fill (a theater) by giving out free tickets.

Phrases

be not worth the paper it is written on

be of no value or validity whatsoever despite having been written down.

make the papers

be written about in newspapers and thus become famous or notorious.

on paper

in writing.
in theory rather than in reality:the combatants were, on paper at least, evenly matched

Derivatives

paperer

noun

Origin:

Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French papir, from Latin papyrus 'paper-reed' (see papyrus). The verb dates from the late 16th century

paper in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of paper in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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