As a noun, a page is one side of a sheet of paper in a book, magazine, or other document; or a single document on a website. As a verb, to page someone means to summon them — typically via a public address system, a pager device, or a messaging app.
What Does Page Mean?
Page is one of the most common words in English, used in both physical and digital contexts. The noun sense referring to paper goes back to 15th-century English, while the digital sense — as in web page or home page — became widespread only in the 1990s with the rise of the internet.
In everyday academic and professional English you will encounter phrases such as turn to page forty-five, on the following page, and a blank page. Online, the word is equally ubiquitous: landing page, error page, profile page, and page views are all standard vocabulary for anyone working with websites or social media.
The verb use is less common but worth knowing. In British English, to page someone most often means calling them over an intercom: "Could you page Dr Khan to reception, please?" In informal usage, especially with younger speakers, paging someone can also mean sending them a direct message to get their attention.
Etymology
The noun page derives from Old French page and Latin pagina, meaning a column of writing fastened together — from pangere, "to fasten". The Romans used pagina for a column of text on a wax tablet or parchment scroll. When bound books became common, the word shifted to mean one side of a leaf. The verb sense (to summon) developed separately in the 20th century from page meaning a young attendant or messenger boy — someone who would physically fetch a person on request.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & Usage note |
|---|---|
| Please turn to page forty-five in your grammar workbook. | A2 Basic classroom instruction; page as noun with number |
| She bookmarked the web page so she could read the article later. | B1 Digital context; web page as compound noun |
| The nurse asked the receptionist to page the consultant on duty. | B1 Verb use; formal/professional register |
| The front page of the newspaper carried a photograph of the flooded town centre. | B2 Collocation: front page; journalistic register |
| Staring at a blank page for an hour, the novelist finally accepted that writer's block had set in. | C1 Idiomatic use of blank page; literary register |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| turn the page | She turned the page and began the next chapter. |
| home page | The home page loads in under two seconds. |
| front page | The story made the front page of every national newspaper. |
| blank page | A blank page can feel both exciting and daunting. |
| web page | Make sure every web page has a clear title tag. |
| page number | Check the page number before you photocopy the chapter. |
| on page [number] | You will find the glossary on page 312. |
| landing page | The marketing team redesigned the landing page to improve conversions. |
| page through | He paged through the brochure without reading it carefully. |
| full-page (adj.) | The publisher took out a full-page advert in the magazine. |
Usage Notes
Three Things to Remember
- Noun — physical: A page is one side of a leaf, not the whole sheet. When you read both sides, you have read two pages but only one leaf. In everyday English, however, most people say "page" when they mean either side.
- Noun — digital: Web page (two words) and webpage (one word) are both standard. In formal writing, prefer web page. The home page or homepage is the main entry point of a website — distinct from the site itself.
- Verb — register: The verb to page is more common in American English than British English. British English often prefers "call someone over the tannoy" or "ask reception to announce". In medical or hotel settings, however, page is widely understood across both varieties.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I wrote my essay in the page 3.
I wrote my essay on page 3. (use on, not in, with page numbers)
Please go to the next sheet — the back page is there.
Please turn over — the answer is on the back of the page. (or: on the reverse side)
She paged through the book very carefully and read every word.
She read every page carefully. (page through implies skimming, not careful reading)