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View synonyms for grandpa

grandpa

[ gran-pah, -paw, grand-, gram-, gram-puh ]

noun

, Informal.


grandpa

/ ˈɡrænd-; ˈɡræm-; ˈɡrænd-; ˈɡrænpəˌpɑː; ˈɡrænˌpɑː /

noun

  1. informal words for grandfather
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of grandpa1

First recorded in 1885–90; grand- + pa
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Example Sentences

“To me, he’s just a normal grandpa. He gives us candy and soda when our parents aren’t looking,” she said.

From BBC

“You would be worried if your grandpa was acting like this!”

From Salon

“The preacher in our family happened to be our grandpa, and grandpa loved fried chicken,” Parton continued.

From Salon

Molina said her grandpa had taken her to register as soon as she turned 18, telling her, “You can’t complain if you don’t vote.”

“Chimaeras are also rather ancient relatives – the grandmas and grandpas – of fish and I thought the name was well suited.”

From BBC

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Related Words

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More About Grandpa

What does grandpa mean?

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

When a father’s child has their own children, that father becomes a grandpa. The word pa is an informal way to say father.

Grandpa is often combined with a name, especially when a person has two grandfathers that they call Grandpa, as in Grandpa Carl andGrandpa Frank. 

Should grandpa be capitalized?

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

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

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

Where does grandpa come from?

The first records of the word grandpa come from the late 1700s. The word pa is a shortening of papa, which is first recorded in the 1600s but was certainly used in speech much earlier than that. The prefix grand- is used in family terms to indicate a person who is one generation removed, as in grandparent and grandchild. (The prefix great- indicates yet another generation, as in great-grandpa.)

Grandpas 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 grandpop, grampa, gramps, 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 grandpa?

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

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

How is grandpa used in real life?

Grandpa is perhaps the most common informal way of saying grandfather. When it’s used as a proper name, Grandpa should be capitalized.

 

 

Try using grandpa!

Is grandpa used correctly in the following sentence?

I’m a grandpa of two and a father of five, so I know a thing or two about temper tantrums.

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