Word
para
/ˈpɛɹə/
Definitions
01a paragraph
n. a short way of saying 'paragraph' when talking about a piece of writing.
n. a clipping of 'paragraph', commonly used in editing, publishing, and academic contexts.
“You need to add more detail to the second para of your essay.”
“The editor suggested moving the final para to the introduction to create a more compelling hook for the reader.”
Informal
02a paratrooper
n. a soldier who is trained to jump out of planes using a parachute.
n. a clipping of 'paratrooper', referring to military personnel trained in airborne operations.
“His grandfather was a para during the war and told stories about his first jump.”
“The paras were deployed behind enemy lines under the cover of darkness to secure the bridgehead before the main force arrived.”
Informal
Synonyms
03a teaching assistant
n. a person who works in a school to help the main teacher and the students.
n. a clipping of 'paraprofessional', specifically referring to an educational assistant who supports classroom teachers.
“The para helped the students with their reading while the teacher graded papers.”
“The school district announced a budget increase to hire more paras for the special education department next semester.”
American English · Informal
Synonyms
04a person with paraplegia
n. a short, informal word for someone who cannot move the lower half of their body.
n. a clipping of 'paraplegic', used to refer to an individual with paralysis of the lower body.
“After the accident, he became a para and started competing in wheelchair sports.”
“The rehabilitation centre provides specialised equipment designed to help paras regain independence in their daily lives.”
Informal
Synonyms
05very drunk
adj. a slang word used in some places to mean extremely drunk.
adj. a slang term meaning highly intoxicated; likely a clipping of 'paralytic'.
“He was completely para by the end of the wedding party.”
“The group arrived at the club already looking quite para, so the bouncer refused them entry at the door.”
British English · Slang
Synonyms
Antonyms
06Ottoman currency
n. a small unit of money used in the past in countries like Turkey.
n. a former small denomination of currency in the Ottoman Empire and later in parts of the Balkans.
“The old merchant counted out every last para before handing over the silk.”
“Historians noted that the value of the para fluctuated wildly during the final decades of the empire's economic dominance.”
Archaic
Real-World Examples
“Si se da cuenta de que no está registrado, puede usar esta herramienta de la Conferencia Nacional de Legislaturas Estatales para encontrar la solicitud de registro en línea de su estado.” “El palo de rosa cocobolo, Dalbergia retusa , es especialmente apreciado para la talla de bastones ceremoniales utilizados en la medicina tradicional y en el arte comercial que representa plantas y animales tropicales.” Etymology
Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian pàra /па̀ра, from Ottoman Turkish پاره (pare, para), from Persian پاره (pâre).
Clipping of words such as primipara and multipara.
Clippings.
Clipping of paralytic.
Borrowed from Urdu پاره (pāra), from Persian پاره (pâre).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.