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, tap·ing.

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, tap·ing.

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. Alsotape-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

Derived Forms

• ˈtaper, noun
• ˈtapeˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• tapeless adjective
• tapelike adjective
• pre·tape verb (used with object) pretaped pretaping
• re·tape verb (used with object) retaped retaping
• un·taped 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

He predicted that Musk and Ramaswamy will become bored and quit their advisory roles because of the massive red tape involved in changing the government.

From Salon

And after Davis returned to the game with five fouls midway through the fourth, he hit a pair of clutch three-point shots to push the Lakers through the tape into their sixth straight win at home to start the season.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

He adds that though Musk's primary role will be "slashing through the thicket of red tape that is the US federal government", his position will also give him influence in the new administration.

From BBC

By the morning after, the mall was up and running again as normal: no police crime scene tape, no flowers for the dead.

From BBC

Related Words

• line
• rope