pa·per / ˈpāpər/ • n. 1. material manufactured in thin sheets from the pulp of wood or other fibrous substances, used for writing, drawing, or printing on, or as wrapping material: a sheet of paper | [as adj.] a paper bag. ∎  a newspaper. ∎  wallpaper. ∎  (usu. papers) a piece or sheet of paper with something written or drawn on it: he riffled through the papers on his desk. ∎  (papers) significant or important documents belonging to a person: the personal papers of major political figures. ∎  [as adj.] denoting something that is officially documented but has no real existence or little merit or use: a paper profit. ∎  a government report or policy document: a recently leaked cabinet paper. ∎  (papers) documents attesting identity; credentials: two men stopped us and asked us for our papers. ∎  a piece of paper used for wrapping or enclosing something or made into a packet: toffee papers. ∎ short for commercial paper. ∎ short for cigarette paper.2. an essay or thesis, esp. one read at an academic lecture or seminar or published in an academic journal.3. theatrical slang free passes of admission to a theater or other entertainment.• v. [tr.] 1. (often be papered) apply wallpaper to (a wall or room): the walls were papered in a Regency stripe. ∎  [intr.] (paper over) cover (a hole or blemish) with wallpaper. ∎  (paper over) disguise (an awkward problem) instead of resolving it: the ill feeling between her and Jenny must have been papered over.2. theatrical slang fill (a theater) by giving out free tickets.PHRASES: be not worth the paper it is written on be of no value or validity whatsoever despite having been written down.make the papers be written about in newspapers and thus become famous or notorious.on paper in writing. ∎  in theory rather than in reality: the combatants were, on paper at least, evenly matched.DERIVATIVES: pa·per·er n.pa·per·less adj.