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Synonyms

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)

"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
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

"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
Pa 3 British  

symbol

  1. protactinium

"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

symbol

  1. pascal

"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
Pa. 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Pennsylvania

"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
pa 5 British  
/ pɑː /

noun

  1. an informal word for father

"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
pa 6 British  

abbreviation

  1. Panama

"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
p.a. 7 British  

abbreviation

  1. per annum

"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

Etymology

Origin of pa

Short for papa

Vocabulary lists containing pa

Scrabble: Two-Letter Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He also picked up best reggaetón performance for Voy a llevarte pa PR, and best urban music album for Debí Tirar Más Fotos.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

“Anpil men, chay pa lou! Many hands lighten the load.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 13, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

“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 • Nov. 3, 2022

And the Wonder of it all isn’t that the word appeared here or that his pa didn’t beat him.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.