pa

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈpä  ˈpȯ 

: father

Pa

2 of 6

abbreviation (1)

1

pascal

2

Pennsylvania

Pa

3 of 6

symbol

protactinium

PA

4 of 6

noun (2)

(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

: physician assistant

PA

5 of 6

noun (3)

(ˌ)pē-ˈā 

plural PAs

: public-address system

He perks up when the name of his town comes over the PA.

—Colson Whitehead

After they'd mustered at their tables, before saying grace, a staff sergeant read the manifest over the PA.

—Stewart O'Nan

Then came the announcement over the news, over the radio and over the PAs at schools: The school board had canceled school until further notice …

—Daniel Thigpen

PA

6 of 6

abbreviation (2)

1

Pennsylvania

2

chiefly British per annum

3

personal assistant

4

power amplifier

5

power of attorney

6

press agent

7

professional association

8

public address

… retail store services featuring … public address (PA) systems …

—US Fed News

9

purchasing agent

Synonyms of pa

Noun (1)

• dad
• father
• daddy
• papa

Examples of pa in a Sentence

Noun (1)

Pa, can I go out?

I cherish my memories of the times that I went fishing with my pa.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Reform’s MPs are now being given 24-hour security protection following Widdecombe’s death, PA reported. — Max Saltman, CNN Money, 11 July 2026

The company received a funding proposal from the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a $1,210,000 grant through the PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) Program. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026

Due to ongoing Israeli military occupation and settlement expansion, however, the PA has remained as an administrative body with limited sovereignty. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 10 July 2026

This robot vacuum sports 15,000 PA turbo suction that can clean up all kinds of debris, including pet hair, dust, and dander from both carpets and hard floors, leaving your floors spotless. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 9 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

short for papa

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1629, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1932, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing pa

• ma-and-pa

Rhymes for pa

• aah
• ah
• ahh
• aw
• awe
• bah
• blah
• bra
• caw
• claw
• craw
• daw

Kids Definition

pa

noun

ˈpä  ˈpȯ 

: father entry 1 sense 1a

Medical Definition

Pa

1 of 3 symbol

protactinium

PA

2 of 3 noun

ˌpē-ˈā 

: physician assistant

PA

3 of 3 abbreviation

pernicious anemia