tape measure

[ teyp mezh-er ]

noun

1. Also called tape·line [teyp, -lahyn]. a long, flexible strip or ribbon, as of cloth or metal, marked with subdivisions of the foot or meter and used for measuring.

adjective

1. Also tape-meas·ure. Baseball. (of a hit) having traveled so remarkably far that the distance, usually only estimated, is worth noting:

   This kid’s got so much power, even his foul balls are tape-measure shots.

tape measure

noun

1. a tape or length of metal marked off in inches, centimetres, etc, used principally for measuring and fitting garments Also called (esp US)tapeline

Word History and Origins

Origin of tape measure¹

First recorded in 1835–45 tape measure fordef 1, and in 1950–55 tape measure fordef 2

Example Sentences

Scientists on the expedition measured the coral using a type of tape measure under water.

From BBC

What I learned from my nightmarish Los Angeles apartment hunt: bring a tape measure, have the attorney general on speed-dial and “room with a view” is subjective.

From Los Angeles Times

Make sure they work for you — perhaps spend some time with a tape measure figuring out your ideal desktop height before you order a desk.

From Seattle Times

There was a long white tape measure draped around her neck.

From Literature

Pillcopata, Peru—Twenty years ago, a dozen Peruvian biology undergraduates armed with machetes and tape measures laboriously cleared a trail down the steep eastern flank of the Andes Mountains near this sleepy Amazonian town.

From Science Magazine