papa

1 of 2

noun

pa·​pa ˈpä-pə How to pronounce papa (audio)
 chiefly British  pə-ˈpä
variants or less commonly poppa
: father

Papa

2 of 2

communications code word

Pa·​pa pə-ˈpä How to pronounce Papa (audio)
ˈpä-pə
used as a code word for the letter p

Examples of papa in a Sentence

Noun a proud papa of newborn twins
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
His team sold between 250-300 orders of churrasco con papas a day at the site. Miami Herald, 3 July 2025 Poorer residents would revive the bread by dipping it in salsa made with guajillo peppers and frying it nearly dry, then stuffing it with various cost-effective ingredients, such as chorizo con papas (sausage and potatoes). Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 2 July 2025 Fauria's papa is currently mentoring her in running their family business and has become a father figure to her. Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for papa

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of papa was in 1677

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Papa.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papa. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

papa

noun
pa·​pa ˈpäp-ə How to pronounce papa (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on papa

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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