- Main Entry:
- 1pa·per
- Pronunciation:
-
\ˈpā-pər\
- Function:
- noun
- Etymology:
- Middle English papir, from Anglo-French, from Latin papyrus papyrus, paper, from Greek papyros papyrus
- Date:
- 14th century
1 a (1): a felted sheet of usually vegetable fibers laid down on a fine screen from a water suspension (2): a similar sheet of other material (as plastic) b: a piece of paper2 a: a piece of paper containing a written or printed statement : document <pedigree papers> b: a piece of paper containing writing or print c: a formal written composition often designed for publication and often intended to be read aloud <presented a scholarly paper at the meeting> d: a piece of written schoolwork3: a paper container or wrapper4: newspaper5: the negotiable notes or instruments of commerce6: wallpaper7: tickets; especially : free passes8: paperback
—
on paper 1: in writing <wants these promises on paper>2: in theory <the plan looks good on paper>3: figured at face value <on paper the stock was worth nearly a million dollars>
