pa

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈpä  ˈpȯ 

: father

Pa

2 of 6

abbreviation (1)

1

pascal

2

Pennsylvania

Pa

3 of 6

symbol

protactinium

PA

4 of 6

noun (2)

(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

: physician assistant

PA

5 of 6

noun (3)

(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

plural PAs

: public-address system

He perks up when the name of his town comes over the PA.

—Colson Whitehead

After they'd mustered at their tables, before saying grace, a staff sergeant read the manifest over the PA.

—Stewart O'Nan

Then came the announcement over the news, over the radio and over the PAs at schools: The school board had canceled school until further notice …

—Daniel Thigpen

PA

6 of 6

abbreviation (2)

1

Pennsylvania

2

chiefly British per annum

3

personal assistant

4

power amplifier

5

power of attorney

6

press agent

7

professional association

8

public address

… retail store services featuring … public address (PA) systems …

—US Fed News

9

purchasing agent

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• dad
• daddy
• father
• old man
• papa
• poppa
• pater [chiefly British]
• pop
• sire

Examples of pa in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Pa, can I go out?

I cherish my memories of the times that I went fishing with my pa.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for papa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1629, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pa

• ma-and-pa

Kids Definition

pa

noun

ˈpä  ˈpȯ 

: father entry 1 sense 1a

Medical Definition

Pa

1 of 3 symbol

protactinium

PA

2 of 3 noun

ˌpē-ˈā 

: physician assistant

PA

3 of 3 abbreviation

pernicious anemia