papa
noun
papa
American
[pah-puh, puh-pah]
/ ˈpɑ pə, pəˈpɑ /
noun
papas
plural
-
Papa, a code word used in communications, especially by radio, to represent the letter P.
Papa
1
British
/ ˈpɑːpɑː /
noun
papa
2
British
/ pəˈpɑː /
noun
papa
3
British
/ ˈpɑːpɑː /
noun
papa
4
British
/ ˈpɑːpa /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of papa
First recorded in 1675–85; from French; Middle French pappa (nursery word); compare Latin pāpa “father” ( see pope), Old Norse pāpi, pabbi “father”; see pap 1
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.
In June, his twin sons transferred to his alma mater from a Detroit prep school with hopes of making their papa proud and lifting the town’s spirit.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026
‘You’ve got to take care of mama bear and papa bear first.’
From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025
Someone’s got to pay as papa becomes grand-père, but the forecast is bleak.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
She said Fayed "behaved like a father figure", told her to call him "papa", and "often spoke about his family and children, as if to make me feel safe around him."
From BBC • Sep. 20, 2024
“Well, I’m not the runner that you are—yet. But I signed up to run in the 5K with you. I know you’re doing it for your papa Joseph, and I want to, too.”
From "Shouting at the Rain" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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.
