paper

Etymology

From Middle English paper, borrowed from Anglo-Norman paper, papier, from Latin papȳrus, from Ancient Greek πάπυρος (pápuros). Doublet of papyrus.

noun

1. 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.
2. A newspaper or anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).
   “Anthea hasn't a notion in her head but to vamp a lot of silly mugwumps. She's set her heart on that tennis bloke[…]whom the papers are making such a fuss about.” 1935, George Goodchild, chapter 1, in Death on the Centre Court
   However, Anyon Kay remembers a Mr Walton Ainsworth, of Beech House, Rivington, who owned mills in Bolton, being a regular user before the First World War. He used to drive by horse and trap from his mansion to catch the 0906 train to Bolton each day. Before arriving at the station, local newsagent Tom Dutton would hand Mr Ainsworth his morning paper! March 8 2023, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 54
3. (uncountable) Wallpaper.
4. (uncountable) Wrapping paper.
5. (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.
6. A written document, generally shorter than a book (white paper, term paper), in particular one written for the Government.
7. 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).
8. A scholastic essay.
   This paper surveys the research methods and approaches used in the multidisciplinary field of applied language studies or language education over the last fourty years. Drawing on insights gained in psycho- and sociolinguistics, educational linguistics and linguistic anthropology with regard to language and culture, it is organized around five major questions that concern language educators. January 2014, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review, volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, →DOI, →ISSN, page 30
9. (Britain) A set of examination questions to be answered at one session.
10. (slang) Money.
11. (finance, uncountable) Any financial assets other than specie.
    Why might not a Government annuity, the Principal of which was originally invested in Paper since the Cash suspension in 1797, be constituted the guarantee of Paper Money, emendating from that investiture and suspension, and the Parliament authority transferred to its security, as it has been to its creation, in preference to all others, while Paper continues our general Medium. 1812, William Major, Theory of Money and Exchanges, page XV
    […] three millions and a half specie in its vaults, and nearly six millions invested in paper, loans, discounts, pledges […] 1859, The Bankers' Magazine, and Statistical Register, page 244
12. (New Zealand) A university course.
13. A paper packet containing a quantity of items.
    a paper of pins, tacks, opium, etc.
14. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application.
    cantharides paper
15. A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs.
16. (dated) Free passes of admission to a theatre, etc.
17. (dated, by extension) The people admitted by free passes.

adj

1. Made of paper.
   paper bag; paper plane
2. Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper)
   paper tiger; paper gangster
   2016: Manila Standard, "Speed limiter law: A paper tiger"; Maricel Cruz Speed limiter law: A paper tiger
   2016: The Australian, "China says Australia ‘is no paper tiger, only a paper cat at best’"; Rowan Callick It concluded that Australia was “not even a paper tiger, it’s only a paper cat at best”
3. Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper)
   paper rocket; paper engine
   We have to be able to demonstrate that it is not just a paper engine but a real engine 2015, Flight Global, “Airbus Helicopters to begin Arrano tests for H160 shortly”, in Dominic Perr
   2015: CBS News, "ULA unveils new rocket to replace Russian boosters"; William Harwood In a background teleconference hosted by SpaceX late last week, an unnamed official dismissed ULA's new booster as a "paper rocket," saying he doubted it would be significantly cheaper than ULA's current stable of launchers.
   2010: BBC News, "Pratt & Whitney eyes global plane engine deals"; Jorn Madslien Ours is not a paper engine... these are real engines that are in production today
   "The Ares 1 is a paper rocket that's far off in the future," Musk said. "Falcon 9 is a real rocket, most of which is at Cape Canaveral right now." 2010, Spaceflight Now, “Musk refutes report slamming safety standards”, in Stephen Clark
4. Having a title that is merely official, or given by courtesy or convention.
   a paper baron; a paper lord

verb

1. (transitive) To apply paper to.
   to paper the hallway walls
2. (transitive) To document; to memorialize.
   After they reached an agreement, their staffs papered it up.
3. (transitive) To fill (a theatre or other paid event) with complimentary seats.
   Later, seat-filling or “papering” services cropped up, with organizations like Audience Extras, Play-by-Play, […] 2020, Kelly Kessler, Broadway in the Box, page 198
4. (transitive) To submit official papers to (a law court, etc.).
   As powerhouse lawyers shuttled to Cuba to meet clients and papered the federal courts with habeas corpus petitions, Guantanamo's isolation and lack of publicity, once the military's most powerful psychological weapon, was eliminated. 2006, Drusilla Modjeska, The Best Australian Essays 2006
   […] the warning received only six weeks later for poor attendance as proof that the employer was unjustly papering his personnel file in an effort to create a reason for discharge. 2007, Thomas M. Hanna, The Employer's Legal Advisor: Handling Problem Employees Effectively ...
5. (transitive) To give public notice (typically by displaying posters) that a person is wanted by the police or other authority.
6. (transitive) To sandpaper.
7. (transitive) To enfold in paper.
8. To paste the endpapers and flyleaves at the beginning and end of a book before fitting it into its covers.