PA
|pa|
/pɑː/
(pa)
short informal 'father' / common multi-use abbreviation
Etymology
'PA' as an initialism/originates from modern English abbreviations such as 'personal assistant' and 'public address' (20th century), formed from the initial letters 'P' and 'A'.
'pa' (informal for 'father') changed from 'papa' (child's word) and older forms such as Latin/Greek baby-talk terms like 'pappa'/'pappas' and entered English as 'papa' then shortened to 'pa'.
Initially a child's babble term meaning 'father' (from 'papa'), while the modern capitalized 'PA' developed independently as an initialism for several multiword terms; the informal 'pa' has retained its 'father' sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
informal word for 'father' (colloquial).
His pa came to visit for the weekend.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
abbreviation for 'personal assistant' — a person who helps with administrative or personal tasks.
She hired a PA to manage her schedule and emails.
Synonyms
Noun 3
abbreviation for 'public address' or 'PA system' — the sound/amplification system used to address an audience.
The PA at the stadium was so loud you could hear it across town.
Synonyms
Noun 4
abbreviation for 'physician assistant' — a licensed medical professional who practices medicine with physician supervision.
The PA reviewed the patient's chart and took their history.
Synonyms
Noun 5
symbol 'Pa' for the pascal, the SI unit of pressure (one newton per square metre).
Atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 101325 Pa.
Noun 6
postal abbreviation 'PA' for the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
She moved to PA last summer for work.
Idioms
Last updated: 2025/09/23 02:26