- 1 [uncountable] (often in compounds) the thin material that you write and draw on and that is also used for wrapping and packing things a piece/sheet of paper a package wrapped in brown paper recycled paper She wrote her name and address on a slip (= a small piece) of paper. Experience is more important for this job than paper qualifications (= that exist on paper, but may not have any real value). paper losses/profits (= that are shown in accounts but which may not exist in reality) This journal is available in paper and electronic form. see also notepaper, wrapping paper, writing paper Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedraft, consultation, discussion, … verb + paperdeliver, give, present, … paper + verbconsider something, deal with something, examine something, … prepositionin a/the paper, paper on See full entry newspaper
- 2 [countable] a newspaper a local/national paper a daily/an evening/a Sunday paper I read about it in the paper. Have you seen today's paper? The papers (= newspapers in general) soon got hold of the story. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedaily, evening, morning, … … of papercopy, edition verb + paperbuy, get, take, … paper + verbcome out, report something paper + nounshop, boy, girl, … prepositionin a/the paper, on a/the paper See full entry See related entries: Types of text documents
- 3 papers [plural] pieces of paper with writing on them, such as letters, pieces of work or private documents His desk was covered with books and papers. I found these documents among my father's papers after his death. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivenecessary, official, ID, … … of paperspile, sheaf verb + papersign, show, shuffle, … See full entry
- 4 papers [plural] official documents that prove your identity, give you permission to do something, etc. divorce/identification papers Immigration officials will ask to see your papers. see also walking papers, working papers Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivenecessary, official, ID, … … of paperspile, sheaf verb + papersign, show, shuffle, … See full entry exam
- 5[countable] (British English) a set of exam questions on a particular subject; the answers that people write to the questions The geography paper was hard. She spent the evening marking exam papers. Wordfinderexamcandidate, exam, grade, invigilate, mark, oral, paper, practical, resit, revise Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveexam, examination, question, … verb + paperdo, sit, take, … prepositionin a/the paper, on a/the paper See full entry article
- 6[countable] an academic article about a particular subject that is written by and for specialists a recent paper in the Journal of Medicine She was invited to give a paper (= a talk) on the results of her research. CollocationsScientific researchTheory formulate/advance a theory/hypothesis build/construct/create/develop a simple/theoretical/mathematical model develop/establish/provide/use a theoretical/conceptual framework advance/argue/develop the thesis that… explore an idea/a concept/a hypothesis make a prediction/an inference base a prediction/your calculations on something investigate/evaluate/accept/challenge/reject a theory/hypothesis/modelExperiment design an experiment/a questionnaire/a study/a test do research/an experiment/an analysis make observations/measurements/calculations carry out/conduct/perform an experiment/a test/a longitudinal study/observations/clinical trials run an experiment/a simulation/clinical trials repeat an experiment/a test/an analysis replicate a study/the results/the findings observe/study/examine/investigate/assess a pattern/a process/a behaviour/(especially US English) a behavior fund/support the research/project/study seek/provide/get/secure funding for researchResults collect/gather/extract data/information yield data/evidence/similar findings/the same results analyse/examine the data/soil samples/a specimen consider/compare/interpret the results/findings fit the data/model confirm/support/verify a prediction/a hypothesis/the results/the findings prove a conjecture/hypothesis/theorem draw/make/reach the same conclusions read/review the records/literature describe/report an experiment/a study present/publish/summarize the results/findings present/publish/read/review/cite a paper in a scientific journal see also Green Paper, Order Paper, position paper, White Paper, working paper Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedraft, consultation, discussion, … verb + paperdeliver, give, present, … paper + verbconsider something, deal with something, examine something, … prepositionin a/the paper, paper on See full entry
- 7[countable] (North American English) a piece of written work done by a student Your grade will be based on four papers and a final exam. see also term paper Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedraft, consultation, discussion, … verb + paperdeliver, give, present, … paper + verbconsider something, deal with something, examine something, … prepositionin a/the paper, paper on See full entry on walls
- 8[countable, uncountable] paper that you use to cover and decorate the walls of a room The room was damp and the paper was peeling off. There are many other compounds ending in paper. You will find them at their place in the alphabet. Word OriginMiddle English: from Anglo-Norman French papir, from Latin papyrus ‘paper-reed’, from Greek papuros The verb dates from the late 16th cent.Extra examples Be prepared to show your identity papers at the border. Do you have a copy of yesterday’s paper? Do you take a daily paper? Fold the paper in half. Freud first mentioned this concept in his paper ‘On Narcissism’. He crumpled the paper into a ball. He kept a paper copy of his account information. He shuffled the papers on his desk. I did well on the oral but not on the written paper. I made some notes on a piece of scrap paper. I read about his arrest in the paper. I screwed up the paper and threw it away. I scribbled down his number on a scrap of paper. I stared at the blank paper, not knowing how to start the letter. I wrote a term paper on eating disorders. I’ve had nothing on paper to say that I’ve been accepted. I’ve had nothing on paper= in writing to say that I’ve been accepted. I’ve thought about what I’m going to write, but I haven’t yet put pen to paper. Many kids do a paper round. Many kids have paper routes. Scraps of wrapping paper were scattered around. She got a job on the local paper. Teresa signed the adoption papers. The Post Office has a special rate for printed paper. The essay filled seven sides of A4 paper. The exam papers are set by experienced teachers. The paper comes out every Saturday. The paper looks at the future of primary school education. The paper reported that several people had seen UFOs. The story got into the papers. There was paper strewn all over the floor. This paper reports the results of a two-year field experiment. This report is a waste of paper. What paper do you usually read? You may now turn over your papers. You must not write on the question paper. a brown paper package of books a pack of rolling papers a packet of cigarette papers a paper on the development of the novel a roll of kitchen paper legal papers filed in London pieces of loose paper the advantages of paper maps over online maps the questions in the physics paper today’s edition of the paper Have you seen today’s paper? She was invited to give a paper on the results of her research. The assessment consists of three written papers, an oral and a dissertation. The papers soon got hold of the story. Their findings were published in a recent paper in the Journal of Applied Psychology.Idioms
- 1 when you put something on paper, you write it down
- 2judged from written information only, but not proved in practice The idea looks good on paper.
for writing/wrapping
(of an agreement or official document) having no value, especially legally, or because one of the people involved has no intention of doing what they said they would
to write or start to write something
Check pronunciation: paper
