ˈpeɪpə n. & v. --n. 1 a
material manufactured in
thin sheets
from the pulp of
wood or
other fibrous substances, used
for writing or
drawing or
printing on, or as
wrapping material etc. 2 (attrib.) a
made of or using paper. b
flimsy like paper. 3 =
NEWSPAPER. 4 a a
document printed on paper. b (in pl.) documents attesting
identity or credentials. c (in pl.) documents belonging to a
person or relating to a
matter. 5
Commerce a
negotiable documents, e.g. bills of
exchange. b (attrib.) recorded on paper
though not existing (paper profits). 6 a a set of questions to be answered at
one session in an
examination. b the
written answers to
these. 7 =
WALLPAPER. 8 an
essay or
dissertation,
esp. one
read to a
learned society or published in a learned
journal. 9 a
piece of paper, esp. as a
wrapper etc. 10 Theatr. sl.
free tickets or the
people admitted by
them (the
house is full of paper). --v.tr. 1
apply paper
to, esp.
decorate (a
wall etc.)
with wallpaper. 2 (foll. by over) a
cover (a
hole or blemish) with paper. b
disguise or
try to hide (a
fault etc.). 3 Theatr. sl.
fill (a theatre) by giving free passes. øon paper 1 in writing. 2 in
theory; to
judge from written or printed
evidence. paper-boy (or -girl) a
boy or
girl who delivers or sells newspapers. paper-chase a
cross-country run in
which the runners
follow a
trail marked by torn-up paper. paper-clip a clip of bent
wire or of
plastic for
holding several sheets of paper
together. paper-hanger a person who decorates with wallpaper, esp. professionally. paper-knife a
blunt knife for
opening letters etc. paper-mill a mill in which paper is made. paper
money money in the
form of banknotes. paper
mulberry a
small Asiatic tree, Broussonetia papyrifera, of the mulberry
family,
whose bark is used for
making paper
and cloth. paper
nautilus see NAUTILUS 2. paper
round 1 a job of regularly delivering newspapers. 2 a
route taken
doing this. paper
tape Computing tape made of paper, esp.
that on which
data or instructions are represented by
means of holes punched in
it, for conveying to a
processor etc. paper
tiger an apparently threatening, but
ineffectual, person or
thing. øøpaperer n. paperless adj. [ME f. AF papir, = OF papier f. L
papyrus: see PAPYRUS]