tape
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tape¹
- /teɪ̯p/ US, UK
- [tʰeɪ̯p] US, UK
Rhymes with -eɪp
Where it comes from
From Middle English tape, tappe, from Old English tæppa, tæppe (“ribbon, tape”); further origin unclear.
Probably akin to Old Frisian tapia (“to pull, rip, tear”), Middle Low German tappen, tāpen (“to grab, pull, rip, tear, snatch”), Middle High German zāfen, zāven (“to pull, tear”).
noun tapes
- Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape. Hand me some tape. I need to fix a tear in this paper.
- Thin and flat paper, plastic or similar flexible material, usually produced in the form of a roll. We made some decorative flowers out of the tape we bought.
- Finishing tape, stretched across a track to mark the end of a race. Jones broke the tape in 47.77 seconds, a new world record.
- Magnetic or optical recording media in a roll; videotape or audio tape. Did you get that on tape?
- Any video or audio recording, regardless of the method used to produce it. “It was one of the most severe beatings they’ve seen on tape,” an FDNY insider said, recalling the reaction by brass who viewed video of the bloody fisticuffs.
- An unthinking, patterned response triggered by a particular stimulus. Old couples will sometimes play tapes at each other during a fight.
- The series of prices at which a financial instrument trades. Don’t fight the tape.
- The wrapping of the primary puck-handling surface of a hockey stick. His pass was right on the tape.
- A strong flexible band rotating on pulleys for directing the sheets in a printing machine.
- Liquor, alcoholic drink, especially gin or brandy. (Especially in prison slang or among domestic servants and women.) white tape, Holland tape, blue tape (gin); red tape (brandy or wine)
- Clipping of red tape (“time-consuming bureaucratic procedures”). [When dealing with the] Federal Government, "red tape" is unavoidable. Perseverance, good humor and thoroughness will almost invariably cut through the "tape” or lead to the proper official where courteous and attentive treatment will be received.
verb tapes · taping · taped
- To bind with adhesive tape. Be sure to tape your parcel securely before posting it.
- To record, originally onto magnetic tape. You shouldn’t have said that. The microphone was on and we were taping.
- To understand, figure out. I've finally got this thing taped.
Tape²
proper noun
- a nearly extinct language spoken on Vanuatu
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: tapeline, tape measure, tape recording, magnetic tape, videotape, record, mag tape, band, stripe, sticky, scroll, taper, pack, strap, webbing, casket
Translations
Every language
noun video or audiocassette tape
| Español | cinta |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 테이프 teipeu |
| 日本語 | テープ tēpu |
| 中文 | 錄音帶 /录音带 lùyīndài |
| हिन्दी | टेप ṭep |
| Português | fita |
| Français | bande |
| Deutsch | Band |
| Italiano | nastro, audiocassetta, videocassetta |
| Ελληνικά | ταινία tainía |
| Română | bandă |
| Русский | ле́нта lénta, кассе́та kasséta |
| Tiếng Việt | băng, băng từ |
| العربية | شَرِيط šarīṭ |
| עברית | סֶרֶט séret |
verb to bind with adhesive tape
| Español | atar, encintar, teipear, enteipar |
|---|---|
| Français | scotcher |
| Deutsch | tapen |
| Tiếng Việt | dán, dính |
verb to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
| Español | grabar |
|---|---|
| Русский | записывать zapisyvatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | ghi, thu |
Talk about this word "tape." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tape. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tape. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tape "tape." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tape.Cite this
@misc{tape_2026,
title = {tape},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tape},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
