paper

noun

A sheet material typically used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water.

A written document, generally shorter than a book; usually written as a school assignment or a government report.

A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal (as a journal article or the manuscript for one) or in the proceedings of a scientific or academic meeting (such as a conference, workshop, or symposium).

(rock paper scissors) An open hand (a handshape resembling a sheet of paper), that beats rock and loses to scissors. It loses to lizard and beats Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

(slang) Money.

(finance, uncountable) Any financial assets other than specie, including paper money, commercial paper, and others.

(British, Hong Kong) A set of examination questions to be answered at one session.

(New Zealand, countable or uncountable) A university course.

A paper packet containing a quantity of items.

A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application.

A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs.

Ellipsis of newspaper; anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine). [(countable) A publication, usually published daily or weekly, containing news and other articles. Traditionally a print publication typically printed on cheap, low-quality paper; today usually digital and often also available in print.]

(uncountable) Ellipsis of wrapping paper. [Paper used for wrapping parcels (in this case, often brown) or presents (in this case, often colourful/colorful and decorative).]

(uncountable) Ellipsis of wallpaper. [(uncountable) Decorative paper-like material used to cover the inner walls of buildings.]

(dated, by extension) The people admitted by free passes.

(dated) Free passes of admission to a theatre, etc.

verb

(transitive) To apply paper to.

(transitive) To document; to memorialize.

(transitive) To fill (a theatre or other paid event) with complimentary seats.

(transitive) To submit official papers to (a law court, etc.).

(transitive) To give public notice (typically by displaying posters) that a person is wanted by the police or other authority.

(transitive) To sandpaper.

(transitive) To enfold in paper.

To paste the endpapers and flyleaves at the beginning and end of a book before fitting it into its covers.

(Northeastern US) To cover someone's house with toilet paper. Otherwise known as toilet papering or TPing.

adjective

Made of paper.

Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper)

Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper)

Having a title that is merely official, or given by courtesy or convention.

Roots

papyrospaper- · Greek · papyrus

Synonyms for paper

newspapern newsprintn foolscapn curlpaper pulpboard sheetn millboardn paperboardn journaln vellumn onionskinn parchmentn cardboardn strawboardn stationeryn reportn

Synonyms & related words for paper

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of paper — including newspaper, newsprint, foolscap, curlpaper, pulpboard, sheet. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to paper

Explore words related to paper — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include papyraceous, papeterie, octodecimo, twelvemo, notepaper, duodecimo, papery, sextodecimo. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for paper

Common synonyms for paper include newspaper, newsprint, foolscap, curlpaper, pulpboard, sheet, millboard, paperboard — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does paper come from?

The word paper breaks down into one root of Greek origin: the root paper-, from Greek papyros (“papyrus”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.