beeper

American

[bee-per] / ˈbi pər /

noun

a device that connects into a telephone circuit and transmits a periodic signal as an indication that the conversation over the circuit is being recorded.
a similar device attached to a free-ranging animal as an aid to learning its habits; biotelemeter.
Also called pager. a pocket-size electronic device whose signal notifies a person of an important message, sometimes displaying the telephone number to be called.

First recorded in 1945–50; beep + -er ¹

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stephen explained: "Everything was geared up to the beeper going off and you being ready."

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

“I keep a beeper with me at all times,” Brown said the day Herzog resigned.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024

Out with the future-forward A.I. holograms, in with a kitschy cameo from a beeper.

From New York Times • Nov. 24, 2021

Who did Nick Fury ping with his beeper before turning to ash?

From Slate • Apr. 26, 2018

He has taped a picture of a doe-eyed little girl to his beeper.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023