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pa

noun (1)
\ ˈpä How to pronounce pa (audio) , ˈpȯ How to pronounce pa (audio) \

Definition of pa

 (Entry 1 of 5)

: father

Pa

abbreviation (1)

Definition of Pa (Entry 2 of 5)

1 pascal
2 Pennsylvania

Pa

symbol

Definition of Pa (Entry 3 of 5)

protactinium

PA

noun (2)
\ (ˌ)pē-ˈā How to pronounce PA (audio) \

Definition of PA (Entry 4 of 5)

: physician assistant

PA

abbreviation (2)

Definition of PA (Entry 5 of 5)

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
9 purchasing agent
Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about pa

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Synonyms for pa

Synonyms: Noun (1)

dad, daddy, father, old man, papa (also poppa), pater [chiefly British], pop, sire

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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

 In this case the sum of pa and qb can take on values that range from 0 to 3.98 and at a = 1 and b = 1, the sum is 1.99. — Quanta Magazine, "Solution: ‘The Slippery Math of Causation’," 29 June 2018 Bama is the corporate behemoth out to destroy your college football ma-and-pa shops. — Lorenzo Arguello, SI.com, "College Football Playoff Rankings Preview: Three Questions About the First Top Four," 31 Oct. 2017 Square takes a predictable cut of every transaction its ma-and-pa merchant customers make. — Aaron Pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Square’s Overlooked Success," 8 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of pa

Noun (1)

circa 1629, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1970, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for pa

Noun (1)

short for papa

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More Definitions for pa

pa

noun
How to pronounce PA (audio) How to pronounce PA (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of pa

 (Entry 1 of 2)

informal + old-fashioned : a person's father

PA

noun
How to pronounce PA (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of PA (Entry 2 of 2)

: a machine with a microphone and speakers used for making announcements in a public place

See the full definition for PA in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pa

noun
\ ˈpä How to pronounce pa (audio) , ˈpȯ\

Kids Definition of pa

: father entry 1 sense 1

Pa., PA

abbreviation

Kids Definition of Pa.

Pennsylvania

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