Tearsheets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Pages torn or cut out of a magazine or newspaper that show a writer's or designer's published work as proof of their skill
2. Clippings of printed articles kept to demonstrate a journalist's or illustrator's previously published output to employers
3. Samples of published material, cut from periodicals, that a professional assembles to showcase past work to prospective clients

Etymology: "Tearsheets" is the plural of "tearsheet", a noun built from two plain English words: "tear", to pull apart, and "sheet", a thin piece of paper. The compound describes a page torn out of a publication, typically a magazine or newspaper, and kept as proof that a piece ran, which is why writers and photographers collect them for portfolios. The word is a straightforward modern formation rather than an inherited or borrowed term, so its story lies in the everyday meanings of its two parts, joined together for a specific trade purpose.

Synonyms: clipping, cutting