papa
- 01 A1 Beginner
a name for your father, often used by children or in a warm, informal way.
a familiar or childish term of address or reference for a father.
Simple“The little boy ran to the door shouting for his papa when he heard the car.”
In context“In many European cultures, 'papa' remains the standard informal term for a father well into adulthood, unlike the more strictly juvenile 'daddy' in English.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
the word used for the letter 'P' when speaking over the radio or phone to avoid mistakes.
the standard code word for the letter P in the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet.
Simple“The pilot identified the aircraft tail number as Alpha Bravo Papa.”
In context“To ensure clarity over the crackling radio frequency, the air traffic controller repeated the coordinates using 'Papa' for every instance of the letter P.”
UsageAlways capitalized in written transcripts of radio communication.
- 03 C1 Advanced
a title for a priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
a title or form of address for a parish priest in the Greek Orthodox Church.
Simple“The village papa was highly respected by everyone in the community.”
In context“The papa led the procession through the town square, followed by the elders of the local parish.”
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.