papa

1 of 2

noun

pa·​pa ˈpä-pə How to pronounce papa (audio)
 chiefly British  pə-ˈpä
variants or less commonly poppa
: father

Papa

2 of 2

communications code word

Pa·​pa pə-ˈpä How to pronounce Papa (audio)
ˈpä-pə
used as a code word for the letter p

Examples of papa in a Sentence

Noun a proud papa of newborn twins
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Nearby, Jazmin Vargas sat at a table enjoying chorizo con papas with her children, sister and niece. Sarah Mosqueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The daughter of the actor and his ex-wife Demi Moore shared a throwback photo with her papa on Instagram, sharing the sentiments in the caption. EW.com, 21 Nov. 2023 There is generally one vegetarian filling available, like rajas con papas, potatoes with onions and green bell pepper, and Aguilar makes a very small number of tortillas with avocado oil, for those who know to ask for them. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2024 But both prospective papas are all in — for the baby and for Jones. Ew Staff, EW.com, 8 Nov. 2023 Prospective antechinus papas aren’t alone in dealing with such pressure. Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 25 Jan. 2024 The proud papa shared two images of the newborn — the first being her tiny hand grasping his thumb and the second being her little foot. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023 According to Martinez, the chorizo con papas was made on a whim for a farm dinner years ago. Mrussell, oregonlive, 2 Aug. 2023 Along The proud papa and one of his grandsons take turns making music on a drum. Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 9 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'papa.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French (baby talk)

First Known Use

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of papa was in 1677

Dictionary Entries Near papa

Cite this Entry

“Papa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papa. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

papa

noun
pa·​pa ˈpäp-ə How to pronounce papa (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on papa

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