[Haskell-beginners] Why is :t 42 ::Num a => a -> a ?

Is 42 a function? And if it is why does 42 + 24 work, if both are functions. I know there's something I'm getting wrong here. Also, is the expression abs -42 an error. I initially thought that abs to the operator (-) first but there is no space between - and 42. Or is there some associativity issue going on here. - Olumide