papery

1 of 2

adjective

pa·​pery ˈpā-p(ə-)rē How to pronounce papery (audio)
: resembling paper in thinness or consistency
papery leaves
papery silk
paperiness noun

paperiness

2 of 2

noun

pa·​per·​i·​ness
ˈpāp(ə)rēnə̇s, 
-rin-
plural -es
: the condition of being papery
the whole plant is of a dry paperiness, like the everlastings—M. B. Eldershaw

Examples of papery in a Sentence

Adjective a berry with papery skin the papery wing of a moth
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The wasps build their nests by breaking down plant and wood fibers to form a papery substance. — Patricia S York, Southern Living, 21 June 2026 Green hydrangea varieties have a waxy feel, while the other types are papery to the touch. — Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 2026 In many cases, these brown lines have a dry, papery texture that's left behind as the plant grows and unfurls new leaves. — Heather Bien, The Spruce, 7 June 2026 Unlike the papery hives of social wasps, mud dauber wasps build small clusters or tubular structures from mud. — Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for papery

Word History

Etymology

Noun

papery + -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

1602, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of papery was in 1602

Rhymes for papery

See All Rhymes for papery

Browse Nearby Words

paper worm
papery
papery leaf spot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Papery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papery. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

papery

adjective
pa·​pery ˈpā-p(ə-)rē How to pronounce papery (audio)
: resembling paper in thinness or firmness
papery leaves
paperiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on papery

Nglish: Translation of papery for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of tacit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All