tape

[teyp]

noun

1. a strip of cloth, paper, or plastic with an adhesive surface, used for sealing, binding, or attaching items together; adhesive tape or masking tape.

2. a long, narrow strip of fabric used for tying garments, binding seams or carpets, etc.

3. a long, narrow strip of paper, metal, etc.

4. tape measure.

5. magnetic tape.

6. a magnetic tape carrying recorded sound or images.

   I made a digital copy of that tape of Grandpa playing the violin.

7. a string stretched across the finishing line in a race and broken by the winning contestant on crossing the line.

8. ticker tape.

verb (used with object)

taped, taping 

1. to furnish with a tape or tapes.

2. to tie up, bind, or attach with tape.

3. to measure with or as if with a tape measure.

4. to record or prerecord on magnetic tape.

verb (used without object)

taped, taping 

1. to record something on magnetic tape.

tape

/ teɪp /

noun

1. a long thin strip, made of cotton, linen, etc, used for binding, fastening, etc

2. any long narrow strip of cellulose, paper, metal, etc, having similar uses

3. a string stretched across the track at the end of a race course

4. slang,  military another word for stripe 1

5. See magnetic tape ticker tape paper tape tape recording

verb

1. Also: tape-record. (also intr) to record (speech, music, etc)

2. to furnish with tapes

3. to bind, measure, secure, or wrap with tape

4. informal,  (usually passive) to take stock of (a person or situation); sum up

   he's got the job taped

Other Word Forms

• taper noun
• tapelike adjective
• tapeless adjective
• pretape verb (used with object)
• retape verb (used with object)
• untaped adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tape¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; unexplained variant of tappe, Old English tæppe “strip (of cloth),” literally, “part torn off”; akin to Middle Low German teppen “to tear, pluck”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tape¹

Old English tæppe; related to Old Frisian tapia to pull, Middle Dutch tapen to tear

Idioms and Phrases

see red tape.

Example Sentences

Once they regained their master tapes, they licensed their catalog to reissue labels and kept a vigilant eye on how their recordings were disseminated in the marketplace.

From Los Angeles Times

CBS News’ “Face the Nation” will no longer edit taped interviews after U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

The phrase worked almost like those self-esteem cassette tapes I used to see in bookstore displays as a kid: corny, repetitive, weirdly powerful — a kind of culinary manifestation.

From Salon

A closet-sized space across from the bathroom houses shelves of vinyl records, tapes and DVDs.

From Los Angeles Times

Investigators also found knives, a stun gun, body armor, duct tape and rope in his truck.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• line 
• rope