papa

1 of 2

noun

pa·​pa ˈpä-pə 

 chiefly British  pə-ˈpä

variants or less commonly poppa

ˈpä-pə 

: father

Papa

2 of 2

communications code word

Pa·​pa pə-ˈpä 

ˈpä-pə

—used as a code word for the letter p

Synonyms

Noun

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

Examples of papa in a Sentence

Noun

a proud papa of newborn twins

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now, there’s a new papa that don’t take no mess, the conniving Rev, who looks exactly like Pap. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025

For a particularly memorable start to the trip, visitors can head to Restaurante Lilium to explore the rich culinary culture of the Canary Islands, with beloved local dishes up for grabs including papas arrugadas, Canarian sancocho, and quesillo. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025

In the opening sequence, Helly’s morning swim leads to a peculiar breakfast supervised by her strange papa. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025

The proud papa also bounced up and down after rookie coach Kelsea Ballerini followed suit. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French (baby talk)

First Known Use

Noun

1677, in the meaning defined above

Communications Code Word

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for papa

• poppa

Kids Definition

papa

noun

pa·​pa ˈpäp-ə 

: father entry 1 sense 1a