Definitions
01father
A1 · Beginner Countable noun Informal
n. a name for your father, often used by children or in a warm, informal way.
n. a familiar or childish term of address or reference for a father.
“The little boy ran to the door shouting for his papa when he heard the car.”
“In many European cultures, 'papa' remains the standard informal term for a father well into adulthood, unlike the more strictly juvenile 'daddy' in English.”
02the letter P
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Aviation Technical
n. the word used for the letter 'P' when speaking over the radio or phone to avoid mistakes.
n. the standard code word for the letter P in the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet.
“The pilot identified the aircraft tail number as Alpha Bravo Papa.”
“To ensure clarity over the crackling radio frequency, the air traffic controller repeated the coordinates using 'Papa' for every instance of the letter P.”
Usage
Always capitalized in written transcripts of radio communication.
03Orthodox priest
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Religion Formal
n. a title for a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
n. a title or form of address for a parish priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
“The village papa was highly respected by everyone in the community.”
“The papa led the procession through the town square, followed by the elders of the local parish.”
Etymology
From French papa, from Middle French papa, from Old French papa, from Latin papa, probably originally a reduplicated imitation of a child's early efforts at vocalising Latin pater (“father”). Compare Ancient Greek πάππας (páppas, “papa, daddy”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
01. come to papa
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- A1 · Beginner
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/papa
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0