Paper /(pā"pẽr)/

Pa·per

Paper

n.
  1. A substance in the form of thin sheets or leaves intended to be written or printed on, or to be used in wrapping. It is made of rags, straw, bark, wood, or other fibrous material, which is first reduced to pulp, then molded, pressed, and dried.
  2. A sheet, leaf, or piece of such substance.
  3. A printed or written instrument; a document, essay, or the like; a writing; as, a paper read before a scientific society.
    They brought a paper to me to be signed.
  4. A printed sheet appearing periodically; a newspaper; a journal; as, a daily paper.
  5. Negotiable evidences of indebtedness; notes; bills of exchange, and the like; as, the bank holds a large amount of his paper.
  6. Decorated hangings or coverings for walls, made of paper. See Paper hangings, below.
  7. A paper containing (usually) a definite quantity; as, a paper of pins, tacks, opium, etc.
  8. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application; as, cantharides paper.
  9. Documents establishing a person's identity, or status, or attesting to some right, such as the right to drive a vehicle; as, the border guard asked for his papers.

Phrases & Compounds
Business paper
checks, notes, drafts, etc., given in payment of actual indebtedness; -- opposed to accommodation paper.
Fly paper
paper covered with a sticky preparation, -- used for catching flies.
Laid paper
See under Laid.
Paper birch
the canoe birch tree (Betula papyracea).
Paper blockade
an ineffective blockade, as by a weak naval force.
Paper boat
a boat made of water-proof paper.
Paper car wheel
a car wheel having a steel tire, and a center formed of compressed paper held between two plate-iron disks.
Paper credit
credit founded upon evidences of debt, such as promissory notes, duebills, etc.
Paper hanger
one who covers walls with paper hangings.
Paper hangings
paper printed with colored figures, or otherwise made ornamental, prepared to be pasted against the walls of apartments, etc.; wall paper.
Paper house
an audience composed of people who have come in on free passes.
Paper money
notes or bills, usually issued by government or by a banking corporation, promising payment of money, and circulated as the representative of coin.
Paper mulberry
See under Mulberry.
Paper muslin
glazed muslin, used for linings, etc.
Paper nautilus
See Argonauta.
Paper reed
the papyrus.
Paper sailor
See Argonauta.
Paper stainer
one who colors or stamps wall paper.
Paper wasp
any wasp which makes a nest of paperlike material, as the yellow jacket.
Paper weight
any object used as a weight to prevent loose papers from being displaced by wind, or otherwise.
on paper
in writing; as, I would like to see that on paper.
Parchment paper
See Papyrine.
Tissue paper
thin, gauzelike paper, such as is used to protect engravings in books.
Wall paper
Same as Paper hangings, above.
Waste paper
paper thrown aside as worthless or useless, except for uses of little account.
Wove paper
a writing paper with a uniform surface, not ribbed or watermarked.
paper tiger
a person or group that appears to be powerful and dangerous but is in fact weak and ineffectual.

paper

a.
  1. Of or pertaining to paper; made of paper; resembling paper.
  2. Existing only on paper; unsubstantial; having very overrated power; as, a paper box; a paper army; a paper tiger.

paper

v. t.

imp. & p. p. papered; p. pr. & vb. n. papering

  1. To cover or line with paper, especially with wallpaper; to furnish with paper hangings; to wallpaper; as, to paper a room or a house.
  2. To fold or inclose in paper.
  3. To put on paper; to make a memorandum of. [Obs.]