1 [mass noun] material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on, or as wrapping material:a sheet of paper [as modifier]:a paper napkin [count noun]:toffee papers
wallpaper:the walls were damp—paper hung away in long strips
2 (usually papers) a sheet of paper with something written or printed on it:he riffled through the papers on his desk
a newspaper:the story made the front page of the local paper
(papers) personal documents:the personal papers of major political figures
(papers) documents attesting identity; credentials:two men stopped us and asked us for our papers
a government report or policy document:a recently leaked cabinet paper
[as modifier] denoting something that is officially documented but has no real existence:a paper profit
3British a set of examination questions to be answered at one session:we had to sit a three-hour paper
the written answers to examination questions:you need to test your students, mark their papers, and place them in the right class
4an essay or dissertation, especially one read at an academic lecture or seminar or published in an academic journal:he published a highly original paper on pattern formation
5 [mass noun] theatrical slang free passes of admission to a theatre or other entertainment.
ზმნა
Universal
1apply wallpaper to (a wall or room):the walls were papered in a Regency stripe
(paper something over) cover a hole or blemish with wallpaper:interior panels can be of fairly basic wood that will be papered over
(paper something over) disguise an awkward problem instead of resolving it:the unions tried to paper over their differences
2 theatrical slang fill (a theatre) by giving out free tickets:surely the theatre could at least have papered the house if the box office was looking so poor
be not worth the paper it is written on
be of no value or validity despite having been written down:his tenancy agreement may not now be worth the paper it’s written on
make the papers
be written about in newspapers and thus become famous:he thought he’d jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and make the papers
on paper
in writing:Portuguese, although similar to Spanish on paper, is pronounced completely differently
in theory rather than in reality:the combatants were, on paper at least, evenly matched
