paper
paper
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "paper" is /ˈpeɪpər/.
First Syllable: /peɪ/
/p/: Voiceless bilabial plosive
/eɪ/: Diphthong (as in "say" or "day")
Second Syllable: /pər/
/p/: Voiceless bilabial plosive
/ər/: R-colored vowel (schwa + r sound, as in "butter" or "doctor")
Word Form Variations
As a Noun:
Singular: paper (e.g., "I have a piece of paper.")
Plural: papers (e.g., "I need to file these papers." or "She wrote several academic papers.")
As a Verb:
Base form: paper (e.g., "We will paper the walls.")
Third-person singular present: papers (e.g., "He papers over the cracks.")
Present participle: papering (e.g., "They are papering the room.")
Past simple: papered (e.g., "She papered the entire house last year.")
Past participle: papered (e.g., "The room has been papered.")
As an Adjective:
Base form: paper (e.g., "a paper bag," "a paper tiger")
While not typically having comparative or superlative forms in this sense (e.g., "paperer" or "paperest"), you might see "papery" which is an adjective derived from paper, meaning "resembling paper."
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A thin, flat material produced from cellulose pulp, typically derived from wood, rags, or other fibrous materials, pressed into sheets and used for writing, printing, drawing, packaging, or various other purposes.
Synonyms: sheet, stationery, parchment, scroll, folio, writing material
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a material. Concepts like "digital display" or "screen" might be considered indirect opposites in terms of information presentation.)
An essay, report, or article, especially one written for academic, professional, or official purposes, often presented or published.
Synonyms: essay, report, article, thesis, dissertation, study, research, document, manuscript
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this specific type of written work. Perhaps "speech" or "oration" if focusing on spoken communication over written.)
A newspaper.
Synonyms: newspaper, gazette, periodical, daily, tabloid, broadsheet
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a specific type of publication. Could consider "digital news" or "broadcast" as indirect opposites in media form.)
Official documents or credentials required for a particular purpose, such as identification, travel, or legal proceedings.
Synonyms: documents, credentials, identification, permits, certificates, records, files, paperwork
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; implies a lack of required documentation, e.g., "unauthorized" or "unverified.")
Verb
To cover a surface with paper, especially wallpaper.
Synonyms: wallpaper, cover, line, clad, paste
Antonyms: strip, uncover, remove
To wrap or enclose something in paper.
Synonyms: wrap, package, enfold, encase, bundle
Antonyms: unwrap, unpackage, unbundle
To process or prepare for a specific purpose by using or involving paper, often in a bureaucratic sense (e.g., "paper over the cracks").
Synonyms: formalize, document, legalize, validate, confirm, gloss over (in the sense of "paper over")
Antonyms: disregard, ignore, neglect, expose (in the sense of "paper over")
Adjective
Made of paper.
Synonyms: cardboard, pulp, newsprint (referring to the material)
Antonyms: plastic, metal, wooden, cloth, digital (referring to materials or forms other than paper)
Existing only in theory or on paper; lacking real substance or practical effect.
Synonyms: theoretical, hypothetical, notional, academic, token, superficial, ineffectual, symbolic
Antonyms: practical, actual, real, tangible, effective, substantive, concrete
Examples of Use
Books:
"He pulled a crisp, white paper from the desk drawer and began to write." (From a novel describing a character composing a letter)
"The historical papers discovered in the old library shed new light on the ancient civilization." (Referring to academic documents or manuscripts)
Newspapers:
"The Daily Nation reported yesterday that the new budget proposals would be released next week." (Nairobi, Kenya, referring to the newspaper itself)
"Activists handed over a paper petition to the city council, demanding better public transport." (Referring to a physical document)
Online Publications:
"A new research paper published in Nature Communications details a breakthrough in renewable energy technology." (Referring to an academic article, Nature Communications)
"The company announced it would go "paperless" by 2026, transitioning all its records to digital formats." (From a technology news website)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: In the film The Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne uses a small rock hammer to chip away at his cell wall, and then uses a poster to "paper" over the hole. (Referring to covering a surface)
Television Series (e.g., The Office): Dunder Mifflin is a fictional paper company, highlighting the product as its core business. (Referring to the material product)
Music: Lyrics might reference "writing a song on paper" to describe the act of composition before digital recording. (Referring to the material for writing)
Video Games: A common item in adventure games might be a "scrappy paper note" providing clues. (Referring to a physical document)
General Public Discourse:
"Could you please pass me a paper towel?" (A common request in kitchens or bathrooms)
"I need to get my papers in order before applying for the visa." (Referring to official documents or credentials)
"Don't just paper over the problem; let's find a real solution." (Figurative use, meaning to superficially conceal or ignore an issue)
"He's a paper tiger – all show and no real power." (Figurative use, referring to something that appears threatening but is ineffectual)
10 Quotes Using Paper
"The pen is mightier than the sword." This is often paraphrased to emphasize the power of written words on paper. (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy, 1839)
"A blank paper is God's gift to the artist." (Unknown)
"The shortest way to do many things is to do only one thing at once." This quote from Samuel Smiles is sometimes accompanied by the thought that focusing on one task at a time, even on a piece of paper, leads to efficiency. (Samuel Smiles, Self-Help, 1859)
"War is merely the continuation of policy by other means." While not directly using "paper," this quote from Clausewitz implies the transition from diplomatic paperwork to armed conflict. (Carl von Clausewitz, On War, 1832)
"I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." This famous wartime speech was, of course, delivered from a piece of paper. (Winston Churchill, speech to Parliament, May 1940)
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." This sentiment, often attributed to Einstein, frequently led him to fill paper with complex equations. (Albert Einstein, What I Believe, 1930)
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." This famous observation often appears in political papers and discussions. (Lord Acton, letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887)
"Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can learn great things from a good error." This quote often implies the process of trial and error on paper. (Vilfredo Pareto)
"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." While not directly using "paper," Wittgenstein's philosophical investigations filled many pages of paper. (Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, 1921)
"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." This reflects the iterative process of scientific discovery, building on the written papers of predecessors. (Isaac Newton, letter to Robert Hooke, 1676)
Etymology
The word "paper" has a fascinating journey through time! It actually comes from an older Greek word, "papyrus" ($\pi \alpha ́ \pi \bar{y} \rho \mathrm{o} \varsigma$).
"Papyrus" referred to a thick, paper-like material made from the stem of the Cyperus papyrus plant, which grew in abundance along the Nile River in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians used this material for writing long before what we know as "true paper" was invented. They would cut strips from the plant's pith, lay them in layers, press them, and dry them to create a writing surface.
So, the very first known use and meaning of the word "paper" (or its ancestor "papyrus") was directly linked to this specific plant and the writing material made from it.
While the word comes from the Egyptian material, the actual invention of what we recognize as "paper" (made from macerated fibers that are then matted together) is generally credited to Cai Lun in China around 105 AD. However, because the writing material from Egypt was already known, the name "paper" eventually got applied to this newer Chinese invention as it spread westward.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Paper
On paper: In theory or according to a written plan, rather than in reality.
Paper over the cracks: To conceal problems or disagreements rather than resolving them.
Paper tiger: Someone or something that appears threatening but is ineffectual.
Paper trail: A series of documents or records that provide evidence of a sequence of events.
Red tape (related to paperwork): Official rules and procedures that seem unnecessary and cause delays.
To put something on paper: To write something down.
To sign a paper: To formally agree to something by adding one's signature to a document.
To deliver a paper: To present an academic or research report.
Paper thin: Very thin or flimsy.
Carbon copy (often produced with carbon paper): An exact copy or duplicate.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of paper from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
