pager
1 Americannoun
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of pager1
First recorded in 1965–70; page 1 + -er 1
Origin of pager2
1965–70; page 2 ( def. ) + -er 1
Explanation
A pager is an electronic device that's used for simple communication between two people. Most pagers beep or vibrate when they receive a message. Once cellphones became commonplace, fewer people used pagers, which are a much simpler communication tool. Most pagers can only receive messages, and many of them are only capable of displaying numbers. If you used a pager during their peak of popularity in the 1990s, you would probably have paged your friend the digits of your phone number; your friend would then have called you on the phone. Today, pagers are still used by emergency services for quick communication.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The moment I walked out his door, my pager buzzed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Luca Arnaboldi, a tech expert and assistant professor at the University of Birmingham, said he was very concerned by the risks pager use could present to the NHS, adding they were "never meant for privacy".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
An alarm on his pager rips him from sleep at 1 a.m.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
He kept a pager clipped to his belt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 3, 2026
She gave me three phone numbers: her father; her oldest brother, Lawrence; and her brother David Jr.’s pager.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
