Definition of "paper"

paper

/ˈpeɪpə/

noun
countable and uncountable, plural papers
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.
  Quotations
  He looked round the poor room, at the distempered walls, and the bad engravings in meretricious frames, the crinkly paper and wax flowers on the chiffonier; and he thought of a room like Father Bryan's, with panelling, with cut glass, with tulips in silver pots, such a room as he had hoped to have for his own.
  1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company
2. A newspaper or anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine).
  Quotations
  "I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. […]."
  1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919
  “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!
  2023 March 8, Paul Salveson, “Fond farewells to two final trains...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 54
3. (uncountable) Wallpaper.
  Quotations
  There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.
  1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], page 0091
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.
  Quotations
  This paper surveys the research methods and approaches used in the multidisciplinary field of applied language studies or language education over the last fourty[sic] 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.
  2014 January, Claire Kramsch, “Language and Culture”, in AILA Review‎, volume 27, number 5, John Benjamins, page 30
9. (Britain, Hong Kong) A set of examination questions to be answered at one session.
10. (slang) Money.
11. (finance, uncountable) Any financial assets other than specie.
  Quotations
  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.
14. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application.
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.
adjective
not comparable
1. Made of paper.
  Quotations
  At twilight in the summer […] the mice come out. They […] eat the luncheon crumbs. Mr. Checkly, for instance, always brought his dinner in a paper parcel in his coat-tail pocket, and ate it when so disposed, sprinkling crumbs lavishly […] on the floor.
  1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […]
2. Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper)
  Quotations
  Speed limiter law: A paper tiger
  2016: Manila Standard, "Speed limiter law: A paper tiger"; Maricel Cruz
  It concluded that Australia was “not even a paper tiger, it’s only a paper cat at best”
  2016: The Australian, "China says Australia ‘is no paper tiger, only a paper cat at best’"; Rowan Callick
3. Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper)
  Quotations
  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
  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.
  2015: CBS News, "ULA unveils new rocket to replace Russian boosters"; William Harwood
  Ours is not a paper engine... these are real engines that are in production today
  2010: BBC News, "Pratt & Whitney eyes global plane engine deals"; Jorn Madslien
  "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.
verb
third-person singular simple present papers, present participle papering, simple past and past participle papered
1. (transitive) To apply paper to.
2. (transitive) To document; to memorialize.
3. (transitive) To fill (a theatre or other paid event) with complimentary seats.
  Quotations
  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.).
  Quotations
  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.