pa

¹ American  

[pah, paw] / pɑ, pɔ /

noun

Informal.

1. father.

---

Pa ² American  

abbreviation

Physics.

1. pascal; pascals.

---

Pa ³ American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. protactinium.

---

PA ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Palestinian Authority.

2. Parents' Association.

3. paying agent.

4. Pennsylvania (approved especially for use with zip code).

5. physician's assistant.

6. press agent.

7. public-address system.

---

Pa. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania.

---

p.a. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. participial adjective.

2. per annum.

3. press agent.

---

P.A. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

1. Parents' Association.

2. Insurance. particular average.

3. passenger agent.

4. post adjutant.

5. power of attorney.

6. press agent.

7. public-address system.

8. publicity agent.

9. purchasing agent.

---

PA ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania

2. personal appearance

3. personal assistant

4. military Post Adjutant

5. power of attorney

6. press agent

7. Press Association

8. banking private account

9. public-address system

10. publicity agent

11. Publishers Association

12. purchasing agent

13. insurance particular average

14. (in New Zealand) probationary assistant

15. Panama (international car registration)

---

pa ² British  

/ pɑː /

noun

1. a Māori village or settlement

2. history a Māori defensive position and settlement on a hilltop

3. to abandon city life in favour of rural life

---

Pa ³ British  

symbol

1. protactinium

---

symbol

1. pascal

Pa. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania

---

pa ⁵ British  

/ pɑː /

noun

1. an informal word for father

---

pa ⁶ British  

abbreviation

1. Panama

---

p.a. ⁷ British  

abbreviation

1. per annum

---

Etymology

Origin of pa

Short for papa

Example Sentences

“Wouldn’t that be a scandal! Leaving your pa alone with all this work. Leaving the farm to go to rack and ruin.”

From Literature

“There are lots of men/but only one I love/my one and only pa,” she writes in her journal.

From New York Times

Do you and your pa bond best over a meal or a pint?

From Seattle Times

“My pa talked to Mr. Soldano. Mrs. Soldano was burning a bunch of rags in kerosene to clear out the mosquitoes.”

From Literature

“Trumpets,” Zárate instructed three students in the back, “make the introduction sound majestic — pa ra ra ra ra — like a king is coming!”

From New York Times

Related Words

• ancestor
• dad
• parent
• predecessor