paper
Thin material made from wood, used for writing or printing.
A thin, flat material made from wood pulp or similar fibers, used for writing, printing, or packaging.
A printed booklet with news and stories, usually sold daily or weekly.
A printed publication issued daily or weekly that contains news, articles, advertisements, and other information.
A piece of writing about one subject, often for school or work.
A written composition, such as an essay, report, or research article, often for school, university, or professional publication.
To put wallpaper or other paper on walls or surfaces.
To cover the walls or another surface with wallpaper or sheets of decorative or protective paper.
- Base: paper
- Plural: paper, papers
- Base: paper
- 3rd Person Singular: papers
- Present Participle: papering
- Past: papered
not worth the paper it's printed on
3worthless despite being written down
Used to say that something written has no value or meaning.
- That contract isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
- His promise is not worth the paper it’s printed on.
paper over the cracks
4hide problems temporarily
To try to hide problems instead of fixing them properly.
- The agreement just papers over the cracks in their relationship.
- They tried to paper over the cracks by blaming others.
push papers
6do routine office paperwork
To do boring office work that involves handling documents.
- He didn’t join the army to push papers all day.
- She’s tired of pushing papers and wants a more active job.
white paper
5official policy report/proposal document
An official document that explains a plan or policy in detail.
- The government released a white paper on climate change policy.
- The company published a white paper to outline its new strategy.
on paper
1good in theory, maybe not in fact
Looking good or correct when you read about it or plan it, but maybe not working well in real life.
- The team looks unbeatable on paper, but they keep losing games.
- On paper, the project made sense, yet it failed in practice.
- The job sounded perfect on paper, but the reality was disappointing.
on paper
2in written form only
In writing, but not necessarily true in real life.
- On paper, the plan looks perfect, but it may not work in practice.
- He seems qualified on paper, but he lacks experience.