noun
Common
para
PAH-ruh
Para (noun) means a former small unit of currency used in parts of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and the Balkans. Example: “In the old story, the beggar was given a single para.”
noun
1
A former small unit of currency used in parts of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and the Balkans.
"In the old story, the beggar was given a single para."
"The museum displays a tiny silver para from a long-vanished empire."
"Old Ottoman coins were denominated in para."
How to use para
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA historical small-denomination coin used in Turkish and Balkan currencies.
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Word forms
- Plural
- paras
- Comparative
- more para
- Superlative
- most para
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
In the old story, the beggar was given a single _____.
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish pare/para, from Persian pâre.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for para
See all rhymes for para →Frequently asked questions
What does “para” mean?
The word “para” means a former small unit of currency used in parts of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and the Balkans. In plain terms, a historical small-denomination coin used in Turkish and Balkan currencies.
How do you pronounce “para”?
“Para” is pronounced PAH-ruh (/ˈpɑːɹə/ in IPA).
How do you use “para” in a sentence?
Here is “para” used in a sentence: “Old Ottoman coins were denominated in para.”
What part of speech is “para”?
“Para” is a noun.
Where does the word “para” come from?
The word “para” comes from Persian. From Ottoman Turkish pare/para, from Persian pâre.
Is “para” a common word?
“Para” is a fairly common word in modern English.
Where was the para used as currency?
The para was a small denomination of currency used in the Ottoman Empire and later in parts of Turkey and the Balkans. It functioned as a subunit, similar to how a cent relates to a dollar.
Is the para still in use today?
No, the para is a former currency unit and is no longer in circulation as Ottoman-era money. Any modern use of the term typically refers to historical or numismatic contexts rather than active currency.
Is para the same word as the informal abbreviation for paragraph or paratrooper?
No, those are unrelated shortened forms from other contexts, not the historical currency unit. The currency sense of para specifically denotes the small monetary denomination once used in the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans.
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