paper chase

American  

noun

1. the effort to earn a diploma or college degree, especially in law, or a professional certificate or license.

2. the writing of assignments and reports, collecting of supporting documents, filling out of forms, and other paperwork necessary to obtain a college degree or a professional certificate or license, apply for financial aid or a bank loan, etc.

3. hare and hounds.

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paper chase British  

noun

1. a former type of cross-country run in which a runner laid a trail of paper for others to follow

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Other Word Forms

• paper chaser noun
• paper-chasing adjective

Etymology

Origin of paper chase

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

“I just read like crazy all the time,” said King, who has turned her paper chase into something of a cause.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 31, 2025

Like all migrants, he then had to contend with obstacles ranging from the paper chase needed for a bank account and apartment, through to just getting an appointment to have his work permit approved.

From Reuters • Feb. 23, 2023

On a frigid Friday in February, the place was packed with after-work patrons sloshing away memories of the paper chase.

From New York Times • Mar. 25, 2015

After the war, people continued to filter through Istanbul toward Palestine, but the flotillas, special trains, and desperate paper chase began to slow as the immediate danger to the surviving refugees lessened.

From Slate • Sep. 24, 2014

Believe me, I have had great pleasure in following you by your trail of words, as in the sport known as the "paper chase."

From The Letters of Ambrose Bierce With a Memoir by George Sterling by Bierce, Ambrose