Endpaper

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of paper inserted within hardcovers to create a connection between the book's spine and its covers, which also provides durability and aesthetic enhancement
2. A kind of paper placed at the beginning and end of a book, serving to attach the cover to the spine while offering structural support and visual appeal
3. This paper is found at the front and back of a hardcover book, linking the binding to the covers and enhancing the overall design and robustness

Etymology: An endpaper is, quite literally, a paper at the end of a book, though the term refers to the leaves glued to the inside of the front and back covers that join the text block to the binding. The compound is transparent: "end" plus "paper," with no change in form or sense from either part. What the word does not carry is any date or first-use claim, so there is no specific origin story to tell beyond the plain combination of its two parts.

Synonyms: flyleaf, paste-down, guard