pa

¹ American  

[pah, paw] / pɑ, pɔ /

noun

Informal.

1. father.

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Pa ² American  

abbreviation

Physics.

1. pascal; pascals.

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Pa ³ American  

Symbol, Chemistry.

1. protactinium.

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PA ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Palestinian Authority.

2. Parents' Association.

3. paying agent.

4. Pennsylvania (approved especially for use with zip code).

5. physician's assistant.

6. press agent.

7. public-address system.

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Pa. ⁵ American  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania.

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p.a. ⁶ American  

abbreviation

1. participial adjective.

2. per annum.

3. press agent.

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P.A. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

1. Parents' Association.

2. Insurance. particular average.

3. passenger agent.

4. post adjutant.

5. power of attorney.

6. press agent.

7. public-address system.

8. publicity agent.

9. purchasing agent.

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PA ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania

2. personal appearance

3. personal assistant

4. military Post Adjutant

5. power of attorney

6. press agent

7. Press Association

8. banking private account

9. public-address system

10. publicity agent

11. Publishers Association

12. purchasing agent

13. insurance particular average

14. (in New Zealand) probationary assistant

15. Panama (international car registration)

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pa ² British  

/ pɑː /

noun

1. a Māori village or settlement

2. history a Māori defensive position and settlement on a hilltop

3. to abandon city life in favour of rural life

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Pa ³ British  

symbol

1. protactinium

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symbol

1. pascal

Pa. ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Pennsylvania

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pa ⁵ British  

/ pɑː /

noun

1. an informal word for father

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pa ⁶ British  

abbreviation

1. Panama

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p.a. ⁷ British  

abbreviation

1. per annum

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Etymology

Origin of pa

Short for papa

Example Sentences

Much of her sophomore album “Vanity” has main character energy, and Lovestory’s “Telenovela,” with its extended metaphors of Barbarella bad bitches, “tragica erotica,” and using “su lengua pa cambiar el canal” is the descriptive centerpiece.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

Do you and your pa bond best over a meal or a pint?

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

“Trumpets,” Zárate instructed three students in the back, “make the introduction sound majestic — pa ra ra ra ra — like a king is coming!”

From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2022

Because stop sounds, along with vowels, are the earliest and most frequent sounds babies tend to babble – which means "pa," "ta," "ba" and "da" are all early infant vocalizations.

From Salon • Jun. 18, 2022

If He’d just left well enough alone, we’d each have our pa back.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye

Related Words

• ancestor
• dad
• parent
• predecessor