Beeper

/ˈbiːpər/ noun

Definition

A small electronic device that receives signals and makes a beeping sound to alert the user, popular before cell phones existed.

Etymology

From 'beep' (onomatopoeia for the sound) plus '-er' (agent noun suffix). The device became common in the 1960s-1980s as a way to receive short messages without carrying a large car phone.

Kelly Says

Beepers were the coolest technology teens could have in the 1990s—people developed secret number codes to send messages (like 143 = I love you), creating a whole hidden language that parents couldn't understand.

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