rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryflyleafBlank book page
noun

flyleaf

FLY-leef/ˈflaɪliːf/

A blank page at the front or back of a book.

The blank flyleaf lies immediately inside the book's clothbound front cover.

Close-up of an open clothbound book showing its completely blank flyleaf immediately inside the front cover, fingers lifting this first plain page, no writing anywhere.
Etymology
flyEnglishsomething attached by one edge
+leafEnglishsheet of paper

Here fly means something attached by one edge, and leaf means a paper sheet. A flyleaf was originally usually the free half of a book’s endpaper.

In context

NRCgov37:54
on his body was found a diary on the Flyleaf under the heading my pledge he had written these words America must win this war
NRC Commissioner Kristine Svinicki remarks at 2015 RIC

More examples

  • The old novel has a yellowed flyleaf at the back.
  • He checks the flyleaf for the previous owner's name.
  • The book's flyleaves are thicker than its printed pages.

Forms

flyleaf · flyleaves

Similar words

endpaper
An endpaper may be pasted to the cover or left free.