paper

[ pey-per ]

/ ˈpeɪ pər /

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See synonyms for: paper / papers on Thesaurus.com

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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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 papȳruspapyrus

OTHER WORDS FROM paper

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for paper

And so, he says he left prison without proper ID, just his release papers and the “dress-out gear” he was given by the state.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
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
The court papers are sealed, but the couple has made it clear they want to be relieved of their parental responsibilities.
Judge: Rehoming Kids Is Trafficking|Tina Traster|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The women had both tried to cross into Lebanon two weeks earlier on forged papers.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|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
Some were even re-arrested for the same nefarious purpose, and the daily papers published their names on each occasion.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
He was long a correspondent of the National Intelligencer and other papers, residing in Virginia.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He sighed as he laid the papers on the table; for he thought the task would be a harder one than even his own immolation.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
“We shall make Mr. Pickwick pay for peeping,” said Fogg, with considerable native humour, as he unfolded his papers.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
There was a great comparing of papers, and turning over of leaves, by Fogg and Perker, after this statement of profit and loss.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for paper

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 paper

paper

In addition to the idiom beginning with paper

paper over

also see:

on paper
push paper
walking papers

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