papa

[pah-puh, puh-pah]

noun

1. father.

2. Papa, a code word used in communications, especially by radio, to represent the letter P.

Papa

¹

/ ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter p

papa

²

/ pəˈpɑː /

noun

1. old-fashioned,  an informal word for father

papa

³

/ ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

1. RC Church another name for the pope 1

papa

⁴

/ ˈpɑːpa /

noun

1. rare. a soft blue-grey clay of marine siltstone or sandstone

Word History and Origins

Origin of papa¹

First recorded in 1675–85; from French; Middle French pappa (nursery word); compare Latin pāpa “father” ( pope ), Old Norse pāpi, pabbi “father”; pap ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of papa¹

C17: from French, a children's word for father; compare Late Latin pāpa, Greek pappa

Origin of papa²

C16: from Italian

Origin of papa³

Māori

Example Sentences

How does “the papa,” the upholder of tradition, as the musical’s opening number spells out, maintain his self-respect, if not his authority?

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But not before papa Ozzy got a few words in edgewise.

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The IT engineer revealed Monzo only stopped when their four-year-old daughter started crying and said "mama" and "papa".

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Other times, with my gramma, papa, aunts, uncles and cousins, we’d maybe sit on the picnic tables out front, or take the food back to the house to eat in front of the TV.

Read more on Salon

“One Light, One Sun” implores its listeners to treat the Earth as precious, while “Everything Grows” explains that we are all ever-changing, even the “mamas” and “papas.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dad