1007
papier-mâché
'pantomime horse n BrE
an artificial horse which
appears especially in panto-
mimes and is operated by
two people. One person's
legs become the front legs,
and the other person's legs
become the back legs of the
horse.
pantomime horse
pan·try /'pæntri/ n 1 a small
room in a house, with
shelves and cupboards for
keeping food; LARDER 2 a
room in a big house, hotel,
ship etc, where glasses,
dishes, spoons etc, are kept
pants /pænts/ n [P] 1 BrE for
PANTIES or UNDER-
PANTS 2 especially AmE trou-
sers 3 put one's pants on one leg at a time AmE infml to be
an ordinary person: He puts his pants on one leg at a time,
just like we do - go ahead, ask him for his autograph! 4 with
one's pants down humor awkwardly unprepared → see also
beat the pants off someone (BEAT¹), by the seat of one's
pants (SEAT¹); see PAN (USAGE)
pants² adj [F] BrE slang very bad: The concert was pants.
'pant·suit /'pæntsut, -sjut||-'sut/ n AmE for TROUSER SUIT
'panty hose n [P] especially AmE for TIGHTS which are flesh-
coloured and SHEER (=can be seen through)
pan·ty-lin-er /'pænti,laɪnə/ n a small SANITARY TOWEL
which has a band of sticky material on the back, which
sticks to the inside of a woman's pants
pan·zer /'pænzə/ n (sometimes cap.) a German TANK or similar
armoured vehicle: a Panzer regiment
pap /pæp/ n 1 [S;U] often derog soft almost liquid food, espe-
cially for babies or sick people 2 [U] derog, especially AmE
reading matter or entertainment intended only for amuse-
ment, which does not instruct or contain ideas of any value:
I don't know how you can watch all that pap on the television.
pa·pa¹ /'pɑ:pɑ/ also pop·pa n AmE infml a father (used espe-
cially in the South)
pa·pa² /pɑ:'pɑ:/ n BrE old use a father: Good morning, Papa.
pa·pa·cy /'peɪpəsi/ n 1 [the S] the power and office of the
POPE 2 [C] the time during which a particular pope holds
office
Papa Doc /ˌpɑ:pə 'dɒk||-'dɑ:k/ an informal name for Fran-
çois DUVALIER, the President of Haiti from 1957 to 1971
pap·a·dum /ˌpæpə'dʌm||'pɑ:-/ n a POPADUM
pa·pal /'peɪpəl/ adj of the POPE or the papacy: papal
authority | the papal legate
Pap·an·dre·ou, An·dre·as /ˌpæpæn'dreɪ-u:, æn'dreɪəs/
(1919-96) a Greek Socialist politician and ECONOMIST, who
was Prime Minister of Greece from 1981 to 1989, and from
1993 to 1996. He established PASOK, the main Socialist party
in Greece.
pa·pa·raz·zi /ˌpæpə'rætsiˌpɑ:pə'rɑ:-/ n [plural] photogra-
phers who follow famous people around in order to take
photographs of them for newspapers and magazines → see
also RAT PACK
CULTURAL NOTE
The paparazzi became very unpopular
after the death of DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES in 1997,
because it was thought that they had followed her
continuously and made it impossible for her to have a
private life. Some people even believed they were partly
responsible for causing her death by chasing her car in
Paris.
pa·pa·ya /pə'paɪə/ also pawpaw especially BrE & CarE → n the
large yellow-green fruit of a tall tropical tree → see picture at
FRUIT
pa·per¹ /'peɪpə/ n 1 [U] a material in the form of thin flat
sheets used especially for writing or printing on, and also for
covering parcels, decorating walls etc, and made from very
thin threads of wood or cloth: a piece/sheet of paper | You
write letters on writing paper. | a paper bag | a paper
handkerchief | a brown paper parcel 2 [C] a newspaper: Have
you seen today's paper? | It was in all the papers. | She works
as a reporter on the local paper. 3 [C] also examination paper
AmE — a set of printed questions used as an examination in a
particular subject: The history paper was really easy. 4 AmE a
piece of writing which is part of the work required for
school, university, or another course of study: I can't go out
this weekend. I have a paper to write on the Civil War. 5 [C(on)] a piece of writing for specialists, often read
aloud: At this year's conference, the professor will be giving/
reading a paper on her latest research. 6 [C;U] WALLPAPER 7
TOILET PAPER 8 not worth the paper it is printed/written
on (of something written, such as a contract) completely
worthless 9 on paper as written down or printed, but not
yet tested by experience; in THEORY: The plans look good on
paper, but there is no guarantee that they will work. → see
also DAILY PAPER, PAPERS, GREEN PAPER, WHITE PAPER, put
pen to paper (PEN¹)
paper² v [T] 1 [(in, with)] to cover (a wall) or the walls of (a
room) with WALLPAPER: This room needs papering. | She
papered the room green/in green/with green paper. 2 [(OVER,
UP)] to hide (disagreements or difficulties) quickly or imper-
fectly, in order to provide an appearance of agreement etc
(often in the phrase paper over the cracks)
paper³ adj [A] often derog existing only as an idea; unreal:
paper profits | paper promises
pa·per·back /'peɪpəbæk||-pər-/ n a book with a thin card-
board cover. Paperbacks are usually cheaper than books with
hard covers, and many books are produced with hard covers
first and only later in paperback form: This bookshop only
sells paperbacks. | a paperback novel | Has this book come out
in paperback yet? → compare HARDBACK
pa·per·boy /'peɪpəbɔɪ||-ər-/, pa·per·girl /-gɜ:l||-gɜ:rl/ fem.
— n a young person who delivers newspapers to people's
houses, usually before going to school
'paper chase n a race across open country in which a
runner drops pieces of paper which others, running some
distance behind, follow
'paper clip n a small piece of curved wire used for holding
sheets of paper together
pa·per·hang·er /'peɪpəˌhæŋə||-pər-/ n a person whose job
is to stick WALLPAPER on the inside walls of a room
'paper knife BrE || letter opener AmE — n a knife that is
only slightly sharp, usually used for opening envelopes
'paper money n [U] money in the form of NOTES (=small
sheets of paper) rather than coins
'paper round n 1 a job, usually done by children, delivering
newspapers to a group of houses 2 the particular group of
houses delivered to
'paper route n [C] AmE a paper round
pa·pers /'peɪpəz||-ərz/ n [P] 1 pieces of paper with writing
on them: I think I've left my papers on the table. 2 official
pieces of paper with writing on them, especially that one
carries to show who or what one is; DOCUMENTS: naturaliza-
tion papers | "Can I see your papers?" said the policeman.
'paper shop BrE || newsstand AmE — n a shop selling
newspapers and usually sweets, cigarettes, and other similar
things; a NEWSAGENT
paper tiger n derog an enemy that seems or wishes to seem
powerful or threatening, but is really not so
paper towel n 1 a small square of thick paper used for
drying one's hands, usually in a public toilet 2 KITCHEN
ROLL
pa·per·ware /'peɪpəweə||-pər-/ n [U] plates, cups etc made
of thick paper and intended to be thrown away after use: a
colourful range of picnic paperware
pa·per·weight /'peɪpəweɪt||-ər-/ n a heavy object placed
on top of loose papers to keep them from being scattered
pa·per·work /'peɪpəwɜ:k||-pərwɜ:rk/ n [U] regular work of
writing reports, letters, keeping records, lists etc, especially
as a less important part of a job: I've finished the job, but I've
still got to catch up on the paperwork.
pa·per·y /'peɪpəri/ adj thin or stiff like paper: dry papery skin
pa·pier-mâ·ché /ˌpæpieɪ 'mæʃeɪ, ˌpeɪpə-||ˌpeɪpər mə 'ʃeɪ/
n [U] paper boiled into a soft mass, mixed with a stiffening
substance, and used for making boxes, models etc