cartridge

American  

[kahr-trij] / ˈkɑr trɪdʒ /

noun

1. Also called cartouche.  a cylindrical case of pasteboard, metal, or the like, for holding a complete charge of powder, and often also the bullet or the shot for a rifle, machine gun, or other small arm.

2. a case containing any explosive charge, as for blasting.

3. any small container for powder, liquid, or gas, made for ready insertion into some device or mechanism.

   an ink cartridge for a pen.

4. Also called magazine.  Photography. a lightproof metal or plastic container for a roll of film, usually containing both the supply and take-up spools, as well as a pressure plate, for rapid loading without the necessity of threading the film.

5. Audio. pickup.

6. a flat, compact container enclosing an endless loop of audiotape, operated by inserting into a slot in a player.

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cartridge British  

/ ˈkɑːtrɪdʒ /

noun

1. a cylindrical, usually metal casing containing an explosive charge and often a bullet, for a rifle or other small arms

2. a case for an explosive, such as a blasting charge

3. an electromechanical transducer in the pick-up of a record player, usually either containing a piezoelectric crystal ( crystal cartridge ) or an electromagnet ( magnetic cartridge )

4. a container for magnetic tape that is inserted into a tape deck in audio or video systems. It is about four times the size of a cassette

5. Also called: cassette.   magazine.  photog a light-tight film container that enables a camera to be loaded and unloaded in normal light

6. computing a removable unit in a printer which contains black or coloured ink

7. computing a removable unit in a computer, such as an integrated circuit, containing software

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Etymology

Origin of cartridge

1570–80; earlier cartage, cartrage, alteration of cartouche

Example Sentences

A cartridge containing small tubes preloaded with different antibiotics is placed directly into the urine sample and inserted into an instrument.

From Science Daily • Mar. 31, 2026

The device contains a swappable cartridge that needs to be replaced after about three months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

Static Controls started refilling the cartridge, and they would flip the chip back to full.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2025

As for classic games, he says: "Goldeneye goes for around £10 as a loose cartridge, with the complete boxed version being around £30."

From BBC • Jul. 12, 2025

Dad had given me the new Hoops cartridge for my Electronic Gamester so I sat and played it at the kitchen table.

From "Doing Time Online" by Jan Siebold

Related Words

• bullet
• cassette
• cylinder
• tube