-para

noun combining form

plural -paras or -parae

: woman delivered of (so many) children

primipara

Word History

Etymology

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

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