pager

¹

[ pey-jer ]

noun

1. something, as a book or brochure, having a specified number of pages page (usually used in combination):

   Her latest report was a 12-pager.

pager

²

[ pey-jer ]

noun

1. beeper ( def 3 ).

pager

/ ˈpeɪdʒə /

noun

1. a small electronic device, capable of receiving short messages; usually carried by people who need to be contacted urgently (e.g. doctors)

pager

1. A wireless device that, when activated, signals the bearer to contact either a predetermined party or the party indicated on the device itself. Often called a beeper for the annoying beeps some pagers use to alert their owner.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pager¹

First recorded in 1965–70; page ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of pager²

1965–70; page ²( def ) + -er ¹

Example Sentences

That dumb jab refers to an Israeli operation targeting Hezbollah members in Lebanon whose pagers had explosives planted inside them.

From Salon

BBC Monitoring listened to that Russian output on the day thousands of pagers and radio devices exploded last month.

From BBC

Here, we’re in a world of phone booths, pagers and bulky computers no one knows how to work, of Walkmans and videotape, which both simplifies and complicates the action.

From Los Angeles Times

The recent turmoil in Lebanon started on 17 and 18 September, when waves of pager blasts killed at least 32 and left more than 5,000 injured, both Hezbollah fighters and civilians.

From BBC

Israel remotely exploded booby-trapped pagers and radios, destroying Hezbollah’s communications and killing leaders.

From BBC

Related Words

• intercom