paperboy

American  

[pey-per-boi] / ˈpeɪ pərˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a youth or man who sells newspapers on the street or delivers them to homes; newsboy.

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paperboy British  

/ ˈpeɪpəˌbɔɪ /

noun

1. a boy employed to deliver newspapers, magazines, etc

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Other Word Forms

• papergirl
  noun

Etymology

Origin of paperboy

First recorded in 1875–80; paper + boy

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paperboy

At seven o'clock on a Monday morning, a village paperboy is busily doing his rounds, his high-vis vest and yellow bag standing out against a grey blanket of fog.

From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026

To help support his passions, Leonard worked multiple odd jobs, including teriyaki delivery person, window washer, paperboy, glass cutter and climbing guide.

From Salon ● Nov. 19, 2022

The game that his young paperboy read about in the newspaper came after a string of seven draws in which Fischer skillfully parried Spassky’s attempts to cut into his three-point lead.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 30, 2022

Sheinkin begins his story in June 1953 with 13-year-old Jimmy Bozart, a Brooklyn paperboy who happens upon a piece of Soviet tradecraft, a hollow nickel containing an encrypted message.

From New York Times ● Nov. 5, 2021

It was a Friday afternoon in June 1953, collection day for Jimmy Bozart, a thirteen-year-old paperboy for the Brooklyn Eagle.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin