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grampa

[ gram-pah, -paw, -puh ]
/ ˈgræmˌpɑ, -ˌpɔ, -pə /

noun Informal.

grandfather.

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Origin of grampa

First recorded in 1850–55; alteration of grandpa

Words nearby grampa

gram molecule, Grammy, Gram-negative, Gramont, gramophone, grampa, Grampian, Grampian Mountains, Grampian Region, Grampians, Gram-positive
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

VOCAB BUILDER

What does grampa mean?

Grampa is an informal word for grandfather—the father of a person’s parent.

It’s a variant of the word grandpa, which is commonly pronounced like grampa.

Grampa should be capitalized when it’s used as a proper name, as in Please tell Grampa that I miss him. 

But grampa does not need to be capitalized when it’s simply used as a way to refer to him, as in Please tell my grampa that I miss him. 

Example: It doesn’t matter what you call your grampa, as long as you call him.

Where does grampa come from?

The first records of the word grampa come from the 1850s. Grampa comes from grandpa, in which the word pa (a shortening of papa) is an informal way to say father. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild.

Grandfathers often have special bonds with their grandchildren (who they’re known to spoil with love, affection, and candy). It’s common for grandchildren to refer to their grandfathers with informal names. Grandpa is perhaps the most common variant of the word grandfather, but there are many others, including grampa, gramps, grandpop, grandpapa, and grandpappy. Many families have their own specific version, such as Pop-Pop, Poppy, and Pa Pa.

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What are some synonyms for grampa?

What are some words that share a root or word element with grampa? 

What are some words that often get used in discussing grampa?

How is grampa used in real life?

Grampa is one of the many informal variants of the word grandfather. When it’s used as a proper name, Grampa should be capitalized.

 

 

Try using grampa!

Is grampa used correctly in the following sentence?

My grampa is 98 years old and is as active as ever.

Example sentences from the Web for grampa