para

1 of 5

noun

pa·​ra ˈpär-ə 

plural paras or para

1

a

: any of several monetary units of the Turkish Empire

b

: a coin representing one para

2

[Serbian & Croatian, from Turkish] see dinar at Money Table

para

2 of 5

abbreviation

paragraph

para-

3 of 5

prefix

variants or par-

1

: beside : alongside of : beyond : aside from

parathyroid

parenteral

2

a

: closely related to

paraldehyde

b

: involving substitution at or characterized by two opposite positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms

paradichlorobenzene

3

a

: faulty : abnormal

paresthesia

b

: associated in a subsidiary or accessory capacity

paramedical

c

: closely resembling : almost

paratyphoid

para-

4 of 5

combining form

: parachute

paratrooper

-para

5 of 5

noun combining form

plural -paras or -parae

: woman delivered of (so many) children

primipara

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Turkish, from Persian pāra, literally, piece, scrap

Prefix

Greek, from para; akin to Greek pro before — more at for

Combining form

extracted from parachute entry 1

Noun combining form

Latin, from parere to give birth to — more at pare

First Known Use

Noun

1687, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing para

• para-aminobenzoic acid
• para-aminosalicylic acid

Medical Definition

para

1 of 3 noun

ˈpar-ə 

plural paras or parae ˈpar-ˌē 

: a woman delivered of a specified number of children

—used in combination with a term or figure to indicate the number

multipara

a 36-year-old para 5

compare gravida

para

2 of 3 adjective

ˈpar-ə 

1

: relating to, characterized by, or being two positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms

2

: of, relating to, or being a diatomic molecule (as of hydrogen) in which the nuclei of the atoms are spinning in opposite directions

para-

3 of 3 prefix

ˌpar-ə, ˈpar-ə 

variants or par-

1

: closely related to

paraldehyde

2

: involving substitution at or characterized by two opposite positions in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms

paradichlorobenzene

—abbreviation p- compare meta- sense 2, orth- sense 2

Geographical Definition

Pará

geographical name

Pa·​rá pə-ˈrä 

1

river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in northern Brazil constituting the eastern mouth of the Amazon

2

state of northern Brazil on the Atlantic and south of the Amazon; capital Belém area 481,836 square miles (1,247,955 square kilometers), population 7,581,051

3

see belém