noun, plural pa·ras, pa·ra.
- a former copper coin of Turkey, the 40th part of a piaster.
noun, plural pa·ras, pa·ra.
-
- formerly, an aluminum-bronze coin and monetary unit of Yugoslavia, the 100th part of a dinar.
- a coin and monetary unit of Macedonia and Serbia, the 100th part of a dinar.
adjective Chemistry.
- pertaining to or occupying two positions (1, 4) in the benzene ring that are separated by two carbon atoms.Compare ortho, meta2.
noun
- para-dichlorobenzene.
noun Informal.
- a paraprofessional.
- a paratrooper.
noun, plural par·as, par·ae [par-ee] /ˈpær i/. Obstetrics.
- Also called parity. a woman’s status regarding the bearing of viable offspring: usually followed by a Roman numeral designating the number of times the woman has given birth.
- the woman herself.
noun
- an estuary in N Brazil: an arm of the Amazon. 200 miles (320 km) long; 40 miles (65 km) wide.
- Belém.
- Pará rubber.
- a prefix appearing in loanwords from Greek, most often attached to verbs and verbal derivatives, with the meanings “at or to one side of, beside, side by side” (parabola; paragraph; parallel; paralysis), “beyond, past, by” (paradox; paragogue); by extension from these senses, this prefix came to designate objects or activities auxiliary to or derivative of that denoted by the base word (parody; paronomasia), and hence abnormal or defective (paranoia), a sense now common in modern scientific coinages (parageusia; paralexia). As an English prefix, para-1 may have any of these senses; it is also productive in the naming of occupational roles considered ancillary or subsidiary to roles requiring more training, or of a higher status, on such models as paramedical and paraprofessional: paralegal; paralibrarian; parapolice.
- Chemistry. a combining form designating the para (1, 4) position in the benzene ring. Abbreviation: p-.Compare meta-(def 4b), ortho-(def 2b).
- a combining form meaning “guard against,” occurring in loanwords from French, or, via French, from Italian: parachute; parasol.
- a combining form extracted from parachute, forming compounds denoting persons or things utilizing parachutes or landed by parachute: paradrop; paradoctor; paraglider; paratrooper.
- Paraguay.
noun plural -ras or -ra
- a monetary unit of Serbia worth one hundredth of a dinar; formerly a monetary unit of Yugoslavia
noun informal
-
- a soldier in an airborne unit
- an airborne unit
- a paragraph
noun plural para
- a New Zealand fern, Marattia salicina, with long heavy frondsAlso called: horseshoe fern, king fern
noun
- a state of N Brazil, on the Atlantic: mostly dense tropical rainforest Capital: Belém. Pop: 6 453 683 (2002). Area: 1 248 042 sq km (474 896 sq miles)
- another name for Belém
- an estuary in N Brazil into which flow the Tocantins River and a branch of the Amazon. Length: about 320 km (200 miles)
prefix
- beside; nearparameter; parathyroid
- beyondparapsychology
- resemblingparamnesia
- defective; abnormalparaesthesia
- subsidiary toparaphysis
- (usually in italics) denoting that an organic compound contains a benzene ring with substituents attached to atoms that are directly opposite across the ring (the 1,4- positions)paradinitrobenzene; para- cresol Abbreviation: p- Compare ortho- (def. 4), meta- (def. 4)
- denoting an isomer, polymer, or compound related to a specified compoundparaldehyde; paracasein
- denoting the form of a diatomic substance in which the spins of the two constituent atoms are antiparallelparahydrogen Compare ortho- (def. 6)
combining form
- indicating an object that acts as a protection against somethingparachute; parasol
2word-forming element meaning “defense, protection against; that which protects from,” from Italian para, imperative of parare “to ward off,” from Latin parare “make ready” (see pare). 1before vowels, par-, word-forming element meaning “alongside, beyond; altered; contrary; irregular, abnormal,” from Greek para- from para (prep.) “beside, near, issuing from, against, contrary to,” from PIE *prea, from root *per- (1) “forward, through” (see per). Cognate with Old English for- “off, away.” n.
- A woman who has given birth to an infant or infants.
pref.
- Beside; near; alongside:paranucleus.
- Beyond:parapsychology.
- Incorrect; abnormal:paradipsia.
- Similar to; resembling:paratyphoid.
- Subsidiary; assistant:paramedical.
- Isomeric; polymeric:paraldehyde.
- A diatomic molecule in which the nuclei have opposite spin directions:parahydrogen.
- Of or relating to one of three possible isomers of a benzene ring with two attached chemical groups in which the carbon atoms with attached groups are separated by two unsubstituted carbon atoms. Usually in italic:para-bromoiodobenzene.