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English (US)
Cambridge Dictionary Online

Meaning of paper in English

paper
noun
us
/ˈpeɪ.pɚ/ uk
/ˈpeɪ.pər/

paper noun (MATERIAL)

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A1 [ U ]
thin, flat material made from crushed wood or cloth, used for writing, printing, or drawing on:
writing paper Emily took a sheet of writing paper, picked up a pen, and began to write.
thin paper Dictionaries were usually printed on thin paper.
paper bag She handed me a small, brown paper bag.
wrapping paper I'll need several sheets of wrapping paper to wrap her gift.
acid-free paper The books are printed on acid-free paper so they will last for generations.
recycled paper This card is printed on recycled paper (= paper made from used paper).
paper cup They use paper cups to save on washing up.
paper mill
on paper She works on paper (= writes things on paper) because she hates computers.
get something down on paper Get the idea down on paper (= write it) before you forget it.
piece of paper
sheet of paper
 
Ulf Wittrock/EyeEm/GettyImages
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SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Publishing: paper & stationery
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paper noun (DOCUMENT)

B1 [ C ]
a newspaper:
daily paper
weekly paper
local paper
national paper
The photo was on the front page of all the papers.
papers [ plural ]
official documents, especially ones that show who you are:
The border guards stopped me and asked to see my papers.
See more
A2 [ C ] UK
a set of printed questions for an exam:
Candidates must answer two questions from each paper.
The geography paper is not till next week.
exam paper We studied past exam papers so we were familiar with the format.
C2 [ C ]
a piece of writing on a particular subject written by an expert and usually published in a book or journal, or read aloud to other people:
paper on She has written numerous research papers on economic policy.
publish a paper Over his lifetime, he published 350 scientific papers.
give a paper He will give a paper on thermodynamics at a conference in Berlin.
B1 [ C ] US
(UK essay)
a short piece of writing on a particular subject, especially one done by students as part of the work for a course:
Mr. Jones thought my history paper was terrific.
paper on For homework I want you to write a paper on endangered species.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Newspapers & magazines
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Idioms

someone couldn't act, argue, fight, etc. their way out of a paper bag
on paper
a paper chase
paper
verb [ T ]
us
/ˈpeɪ.pɚ/ uk
/ˈpeɪ.pər/
to cover a wall, room, etc. with wallpaper
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Building: interior decoration
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Phrasal verb

paper over something
(Definition of paper from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

paper | Intermediate English

paper
noun [ C/U ]
us
/ˈpeɪ·pər/
Add to word list Add to word list
a thin, flat material made from crushed wood or cloth used esp. for writing and printing on and in packaging:
[ U ] a piece/sheet of paper
[ U ] a paper bag/towel
[ U ] paper cups/napkins/plates
Let's put some of your good ideas down on paper (= write them down)
A paper is also a newspaper:
[ C ] I read it in the paper.
A paper is also a piece of writing by a student for a course:
[ C ] One of the course requirements is a 20-page paper.

Idiom

on paper
paper
verb [ T ]
us
/ˈpeɪ·pər/
to put wallpaper (= decorative paper) on a surface, esp. a wall:
We plan to paper the dining room.
(Definition of paper from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

paper | Business English

paper
noun
uk
/ˈpeɪpər/ us
Add to word list Add to word list
[ U ]
thin, flat material used for writing, printing, or drawing on:
There was a huge stack of papers on her desk.
a sheet/piece of paper Someone had printed the memo on yellow sheets of paper and posted it around the office.
The paper industry recovery of the last year shows little sign of slowing down.
[ C ]
a newspaper, or the company that owns and operates a newspaper:
Murdoch has made an offer to buy the paper.
in the papers There was nothing about the trial in the papers this morning.
an article in Hong Kong's leading financial paper
a daily/weekly paper
a local/national paper
[ U ]   FINANCE  
(also financial paper)
assets in the form of bonds, shares, etc., as opposed to cash:
The rise in share prices encourages bidders to issue their own paper.
The system failed because people realized that the securitized financial paper was not worth the top rating it had received.
papers
[ plural ]
official documents that show who you are:
The company was fined for hiring over a hundred immigrants without papers.
LAW, GOVERNMENT
an official government or legal document:
Lawyers argued in papers submitted last month that lower courts were wrong to dismiss the lawsuit.
The committee issued a paper stating that further information and analysis was required.
[ C ]
a piece of writing on a particular subject, written by an expert and usually published in a book or journal:
The paper recommends a series of steps for dealing with the problem.
on paper
written or printed on paper:
The engineers worked out their ideas on paper.
used to say that although an idea seems good when you think of it, it may not be so good when you try to use it:
It's a good plan on paper, but will it really work?

See also

bearer paper
commercial paper
fine paper
trade paper
white paper
working paper
(Definition of paper from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of paper

paper
I found some witnesses and we signed the paper.
From TIME
It creates a paper script that's like a record of someone's trip.
From Wired
According to one of the paper's authors, chances are good now that they know what to look for.
From Phys.Org
If so, make sure they are well stocked with toilet paper, soap and hand towels.
From Huffington Post
Think children's paper and cardboard cities, all grown up.
From Huffington Post
The paper has lost hundreds of thousands of readers from its peak.
From NPR
I also see papers by students that successfully test teas.
From OregonLive.com
The rep told him they hadn't posted the papers, either, he said.
From New York Post
When clothing became too old to wear anymore, it was cut into squares and stored in the bathroom as toilet paper.
From Slate Magazine
Those years spent in a classroom weren't all for that piece of paper you get to hang on your wall.
From Huffington Post
You get a sheet of paper and a promise to follow up along with the number of the new guy in charge.
From Ars Technica
Very well if you go to their house, it's on the wall or in their papers.
From The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
Write all your triggers down on a piece of paper, then tear it up.
From Huffington Post
The proud ones will probably end up with papers taped to their doors, too.
From Huffington Post
The researchers stressed that that their paper isn't academic and at times relies on unsourced facts and opinions.
From Ars Technica
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with paper

paper

These are words often used in combination with paper.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

acid-free paper
Within two years, acid-free paper became widely available for comparable cost.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
blank paper
There is no provision for the transmission at the reduced rate of blank paper or cardboard.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
briefing paper
An interim briefing paper is already available.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with paper
What is the pronunciation of paper?
 

Translations of paper

in Chinese (Traditional)
紙, 報紙, 考卷…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
纸, 报纸, 考卷…
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in Spanish
papel, periódico, parte de un examen…
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in Portuguese
papel, jornal, exame…
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in more languages
in Marathi
in Japanese
in Turkish
in French
in Catalan
in Dutch
in Tamil
in Hindi
in Gujarati
in Danish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Urdu
in Ukrainian
in Telugu
in Bengali
in Czech
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Korean
in Italian
कागद, वृत्तपत्र, प्रश्नपत्रिका…
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紙, 新聞, 論文…
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kâğıt, gazete, sınav kâğıdı…
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papier [masculine], journal [masculine], devoir [masculine]…
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paper, diari, treball escrit…
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papier, blad papier, krant…
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எழுதுவதற்கும், அச்சிடுவதற்கும், வரைவதற்கும் பயன்படுத்தப்படுகிற அரைத்த மரம் அல்லது துணியிலிருந்து தயாரிக்கப்படுகிற மெல்லிய தட்டையானப் பொருள்…
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कागज़, समाचारपत्र, अखबार…
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અખબાર, કાગજ, દૈનિક…
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papir, papir-, avis…
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papper, tidning, skriftligt prov…
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kertas, surat khabar, kertas soalan…
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das Papier, Papier-…, die Zeitung…
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papir [neuter], avis [masculine], stil [masculine]…
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کاغذ, اخبار, پرچہ…
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папір, листок, газета…
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కాగితం, వార్తా పత్రిక, పరీక్ష కోసం అచ్చువేసిన ప్రశ్నాపత్రం…
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কাগজ, সংবাদপত্র, প্রশ্নপত্র…
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papír(ový), list papíru, noviny…
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kertas, surat kabar, ujian tertulis…
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กระดาษ, ใบปลิว, หนังสือพิมพ์…
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giấy, tờ giấy, báo…
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papier, gazeta, egzamin (pisemny)…
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종이, 신문, 과제물…
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carta, giornale, tema…
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paper clip
paper currency

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fluency

UK
/ˈfluː.ən.si/
US
/ˈfluː.ən.si/

the ability to speak or write a language easily, well, and quickly

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