paper

[ pey-per ]

/ ˈpeɪ pər /

noun

a substance made from wood pulp, rags, straw, or other fibrous material, usually in thin sheets, used to bear writing or printing, for wrapping things, etc.

a piece, sheet, or leaf of this.

something resembling this substance, as papyrus.

a written or printed document or the like.

stationery; writing paper.

a newspaper or journal.

an essay, article, or dissertation on a particular topic: a paper on early Mayan artifacts.

Often papers. a document establishing or verifying identity, status, or the like: citizenship papers.

negotiable notes, bills, etc., as commercial paper or paper money: Only silver, please, no paper.

a promissory note.

papers,

Nautical. ship's papers.
rolling paper.

wallpaper.

toilet paper.

a sheet or card of paper with pins or needles stuck through it in rows.

a set of questions for an examination, an individual set of written answers to them, or any written piece of schoolwork.

Slang. a free pass to an entertainment.

verb (used with object)

to cover with wallpaper or apply wallpaper to: They papered the bedroom last summer.

to line or cover with paper.

to distribute handbills, posters, etc., throughout: to paper a neighborhood with campaign literature.

to fold, enclose, or wrap in paper.

to supply with paper.

Informal. to deluge with documents, especially those requiring one to comply with certain technical procedures, as a means of legal harassment: He papered the plaintiff to force a settlement.

Slang. to fill (a theater or the like) with spectators by giving away free tickets or passes.

Archaic.

to write or set down on paper.
to describe in writing.

verb (used without object)

to apply wallpaper to walls.

adjective

made of paper or paperlike material: a paper bag.

paperlike; thin, flimsy, or frail.

of, relating to, or noting routine clerical duties.

pertaining to or carried on by means of letters, articles, books, etc.: a paper war.

written or printed on paper.

existing in theory or principle only and not in reality: paper profits.

indicating the first event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

Slang. including many patrons admitted on free passes, as an audience for a theatrical performance: It's a paper house tonight.

Verb Phrases

paper over, to patch up or attempt to conceal (a difference, disagreement, etc.) so as to preserve a friendship, present a unified opinion, etc.: to paper over a dispute.

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weal

well-being, prosperity, or happiness.

the intervening time.

a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.

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Idioms for paper

on paper,

in written or printed form.
in theory rather than in practice.
existing only in a preliminary state; in a plan or design: The university building program is still only on paper.

Origin of paper

1325–75; Middle English papire < Latin papȳrus papyrus

OTHER WORDS FROM paper

pa·per·less, adjectivepa·per·like, adjectivere·pa·per, verb (used with object)un·pa·pered, adjective

Words nearby paper

papaw, papaya, papeete, papelera, papen, paper, paper birch, paper chase, paper chromatography, paper clip, paper cutter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for papers

Even then, most of us doubted he would show up and actually sign the papers allowing him to enter the 1992 New Hampshire primary.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion|Jonathan Alter|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But Bush has done exactly that, filing the papers for BH Global Aviation with the SEC right around Thanksgiving.
Be the Smarter Bush Brother, Jeb: Don’t Run!|Michael Tomasky|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It may be that some hagiographer yet to come will find the stained sheets of fact and memory amid his papers.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“They were essentially living out of the car,” the papers said.
The Navy ‘Hero’ Who Pimped an HIV-Positive Teen|M.L. Nestel|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Just two days later, the papers began what can only be described as a love affair with Mustafa Kemal Pasha (later Atatürk).
The 20th-Century Dictator Most Idolized by Hitler|William O’Connor|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to the Journal des Débats, the greatest part of these papers have never been printed.
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 4, July, 1851|Various
When we were done he pulled his papers before him and sat looking at them dully.
Hurricane Island|H. B. Marriott Watson
Inside, a sweating adjutant toiled at a mass of papers on the desk before him.
Our Casualty And Other Stories|James Owen Hannay, AKA George A. Birmingham
In this respect, the papers of Kenton City were the most flagrant offenders.
The Lieutenant-Governor|Guy Wetmore Carryl
He went on reading the papers and presently exclaimed: Its a frame-up.
Under Cover|Roi Cooper Megrue

British Dictionary definitions for papers

paper

/ (ˈpeɪpə) /

noun

a substance made from cellulose fibres derived from rags, wood, etc, often with other additives, and formed into flat thin sheets suitable for writing on, decorating walls, wrapping, etcRelated adjective: papyraceous

a single piece of such material, esp if written or printed on

(usually plural) documents for establishing the identity of the bearer; credentials

Also called: ship's papers (plural) official documents relating to the ownership, cargo, etc, of a ship

(plural) collected diaries, letters, etc

See newspaper, wallpaper

government See white paper, green paper, command paper

a lecture or short published treatise on a specific subject

a short essay, as by a student

a set of written examination questions
the student's answers

commerce See commercial paper

theatre slang a free ticket

on paper in theory, as opposed to factit was a good idea on paper, but failed in practice

adjective

made of paperpaper cups do not last long

thin like paperpaper walls

(prenominal) existing only as recorded on paper but not yet in practicepaper profits; paper expenditure

taking place in writingpaper battles

verb

to cover (walls) with wallpaper

(tr) to cover or furnish with paper

(tr) theatre slang to fill (a performance) by giving away free tickets (esp in the phrase paper the house)

Derived forms of paper

paperer, noun

Word Origin for paper

C14: from Latin papyrus

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

Idioms and Phrases with papers

paper

In addition to the idiom beginning with paper

paper over

also see:

on paper
push paper
walking papers

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