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Definition of "pap" [pap]

  • Midland U.S. A teat or nipple. (noun)
  • Something resembling a nipple. (noun)
  • Soft or semiliquid food, as for infants. (noun)
  • Material lacking real value or substance: TV shows that offer nothing but pap. (noun)
  • Slang Money and favors obtained as political patronage: "self-seeking politicians primarily interested in patronage, privilege, and pap” ( Fiorello H. La Guardia). (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "pap" in a sentence
  • "This curious concoction of meaningless pap is heartening, in that it reinforces my conviction that those who like to trumpet their freedom from religion are themselves slaves to ignorance and irrationality."
  • "This was, we were told, because the staple food, pap, is almost 100 percent carbs, which men can apparently digest or burn more quickly than women."
  • "The man in the road was "pap" -- tight -- and they were trying to get him home."