Etymology 1

Origins unclear. Related to Middle Low German , Dutch , Old French /, and Latin , among others. The relationships between these words are difficult to reconstruct.

Noun

1. Food in the form of a soft paste, often a porridge, especially as given to very young children.

   Pap and wors is traditionally eaten at a braai.

2. Nonsense.
3. (South African) porridge.

Adjective

1. (South African slang): Spineless, wet, without character.
   • He is so pap and boring.

Etymology 2

Circa 12th century, possibly from an Old Norse source, but no possible etymons are recorded until much later. See also Latin .

Noun

1. Female breast.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Folio Society 2006, vol. 1 p. 98:

     they doe not onely weare jewels at their noses, in their lip and cheekes, and in their toes, but also big wedges of gold through their paps [tr. tetins] and buttocks [...].

Etymology 3

Shortened form of Pap smear from Georgios Papanikolaou, American physician.

Adjective

1. (South African slang): Flat
   • I got a puncture and the wheel went pap.

Verb

1. Of a paparazzo, to take a surreptitious photograph of (someone, especially a celebrity) without their consent.

   Look, that pop star’s been papped in her bikini again!