papery
/'peipəri/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Having a thin, dry, and often slightly crisp texture similar to that of paper: Describes a material, surface, or object that is very thin, lightweight, and fragile, resembling paper in its physical qualities.
- Pertaining to or resembling paper: Used to characterize the quality, appearance, or feel of something as being like paper.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- The ancient document was so papery and brittle that it crumbled at the touch.
- Some flowers, like poppies, have delicate, papery petals.
- The skin on his hands became thin and papery with age.
Advanced Usage
- Scientific/Botanical Context: Often used to describe plant parts like leaves, seed pods, or flower petals that are dry, membranous, and translucent.
- The botanist noted the tree's papery bark, which peeled off in thin strips.
- Descriptive Writing: Used to evoke a specific sensory detail, particularly for touch and sight.
- Her voice was a papery whisper, barely audible in the quiet room.
Variants and Related Words
- Paper-thin (adj): Extremely thin, like a sheet of paper.
- The chef sliced the cucumber into paper-thin rounds.
- Paperiness (n): The quality or state of being papery. (Note: This is a less common derived noun.)
Synonyms
- Flimsy: Lacking solidity or strength; easily damaged.
- Gossamer: Very light, delicate, and insubstantial.
- Parchment-like: Resembling the thin, stiff material of ancient parchment.
Antonyms
- Thick: Having a large distance between opposite surfaces.
- Sturdy: Strongly and solidly built.
- Leathery: Having a tough, flexible texture like leather.
Related Phrases/Idioms
(Note: "Papery" itself is not commonly used in standard idioms. Its descriptive use is more literal.) - As thin as paper: A simile emphasizing extreme thinness. - After his illness, he was as thin as paper.
Adjective
- of or like paper
- thin and paperlike
- papery leaves
- wasps that make nests of papery material