paper

pa|per1 [ `peıpər ] noun ***

▸ 1 for writing/wrapping

▸ 2 newspaper

▸ 3 documents

▸ 4 academic writing/talk

▸ 5 covering for walls

▸ 6 examination

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) uncount the thin flat substance that you use for writing on or wrapping things in:

a package wrapped in brown paper

a piece/sheet of paper: Stuart handed me a piece of paper with an address written on it.

2. ) count a newspaper:

He sat down and read the paper.

The story was in all the papers.

Is that today's paper?

3. ) papers plural official documents such as your passport:

We had to show our papers at the security desk.

a ) documents relating to work, study, or personal matters:

His private papers include a diary of his first year in Congress.

Some important papers are missing from the files.

4. ) count a piece of writing or talk on an academic subject:

present a paper: Leading scholars have been invited to present papers at the conference.

paper on: He has published many papers on the subject.

a ) a piece of writing that is done as part of a course at school or college:

paper on: I have to write a paper on the Cuban Revolution.

=> TERM PAPER

5. ) count or uncount WALLPAPER for the walls of a room

6. ) count BRITISH an examination, or the answers that a student has written:

Please hand your papers in now.

not worth the paper it is written/printed on

used for saying that a written agreement is not worth having because the person who signed it is not likely to do what they said they would do:

We signed a year's lease on this place, but it's not worth the paper it's written on.

on paper

1. ) in writing:

We need to have something on paper that people can take away with them.

put something on paper: I woke up early and began to put down some of my ideas on paper.

2. ) used for saying that something appears to be true but may not in fact be true:

On paper they are the best team in the National League.

put pen to paper

to write something on a piece of paper, especially a letter:

I decided to put pen to paper and let you know of a few problems.

paper

pa|per 2 [ `peıpər ] adjective

1. ) made of paper:

a brown paper bag

2. ) written or printed:

The book is available in paper and electronic formats.

3. ) officially existing but not effective or able to be used in real situations:

paper promises

paper

pa|per 3 [ `peıpər ] verb transitive

to cover the walls of a room with WALLPAPER

paper over (the cracks)

to hide a problem or disagreement instead of finding a satisfactory solution to it:

Fundamental problems were papered over, not resolved.