Papa Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms papa American [pah-puh, puh-pah] / ˈpɑ pə, pəˈpɑ /

noun

1. father.

2. Papa, a code word used in communications, especially by radio, to represent the letter P.

Papa 1 British / ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

1. communications a code word for the letter p

"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 papa 2 British / pəˈpɑː /

noun

1. old-fashioned 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 papa 3 British / ˈpɑːpɑː /

noun

1. RC Church another name for the pope 1

"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 papa 4 British / ˈpɑːpa /

noun

1. rare. a soft blue-grey clay of marine siltstone or sandstone

"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 papa

First recorded in 1675–85; from French; Middle French pappa (nursery word); compare Latin pāpa “father” ( pope ), Old Norse pāpi, pabbi “father”; 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.

“He will teach you. And you will learn. That is how it was with me and your papa. I am grateful he was chosen for me. He has been a good husband.”

From Literature

This might come as a shock to your mama and papa, since your family was friends with us Warnes for so long.

From Literature

Hebel characterized Morrison as “very much like a papa bear, a protector” who was very close to Sheina, his only child.

From The Wall Street Journal

‘You’ve got to take care of mama bear and papa bear first.’

From MarketWatch

Someone’s got to pay as papa becomes grand-père, but the forecast is bleak.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• dad

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.