para

1 of 5

noun

pa·​ra ˈpär-ə How to pronounce para (audio)
plural paras or para
1
a
: any of several monetary units of the Turkish Empire
b
: a coin representing one para
2
[Serbian & Croatian, from Turkish] see dinar at Money Table

para

2 of 5

abbreviation

para-

3 of 5

prefix

variants or par-
1
: beside : alongside of : beyond : aside from
parathyroid
parenteral
2
a
: closely related to
paraldehyde
b
: involving substitution at or characterized by two opposite positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms
paradichlorobenzene
3
a
: faulty : abnormal
paresthesia
b
: associated in a subsidiary or accessory capacity
paramedical
c
: closely resembling : almost
paratyphoid

para-

4 of 5

combining form

: parachute
paratrooper

-para

5 of 5

noun combining form

plural -paras or -parae
: woman delivered of (so many) children
primipara

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Turkish, from Persian pāra, literally, piece, scrap

Prefix

Greek, from para; akin to Greek pro before — more at for

Combining form

extracted from parachute entry 1

Noun combining form

Latin, from parere to give birth to — more at pare

First Known Use

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of para was in 1687

Dictionary Entries Near para

Cite this Entry

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

Medical Definition

para

1 of 3 noun
plural paras or parae ˈpar-ˌē How to pronounce para (audio)
: a woman delivered of a specified number of children
used in combination with a term or figure to indicate the number
multipara
a 36-year-old para 5
compare gravida

para

2 of 3 adjective
1
: relating to, characterized by, or being two positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms
2
: of, relating to, or being a diatomic molecule (as of hydrogen) in which the nuclei of the atoms are spinning in opposite directions

para-

3 of 3 prefix
variants or par-
1
: closely related to
paraldehyde
2
: involving substitution at or characterized by two opposite positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms
paradichlorobenzene
abbreviation p-
compare meta- sense 2, orth- sense 2

Geographical Definition

Pará

geographical name

Pa·​rá pə-ˈrä How to pronounce Pará (audio)
1
river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in northern Brazil constituting the eastern mouth of the Amazon
2
state of northern Brazil on the Atlantic and south of the Amazon; capital Belém area 481,836 square miles (1,247,955 square kilometers), population 7,581,051
3
see belém

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