What does "tape" mean?
Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
Tape
/teɪ̯p/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
- Grammar: tape is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: magnetic tape, tape measure, accouple, accumulate.
- Useful contrasts: delete, detach, erase.
- Usage evidence: I paid 40,000 yen for this tape recorder.
How to use "tape"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tape" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tape" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tape" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tape" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tape" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "magnetic tape" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tape", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape. countable, uncountable
"Hand me some tape. I need to fix a tear in this paper."
- 2 memory device consisting of a long thin plastic strip coated with iron oxide; used to record audio or video signals or to store computer information wordnet
- 3 Thin and flat paper, plastic or similar flexible material, usually produced in the form of a roll. countable, uncountable
"We made some decorative flowers out of the tape we bought."
- 4 a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening wordnet
- 5 Finishing tape, stretched across a track to mark the end of a race. countable, uncountable
"Jones broke the tape in 47.77 seconds, a new world record."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a recording made on magnetic tape wordnet
- 7 Magnetic or optical recording media in a roll; videotape or audio tape. countable, uncountable
"Did you get that on tape?"
- 8 measuring instrument consisting of a narrow strip (cloth or metal) marked in inches or centimeters and used for measuring lengths wordnet
- 9 Any video or audio recording, regardless of the method used to produce it. broadly, countable, informal, uncountable
"“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."
- 10 the finishing line for a foot race wordnet
- 11 An unthinking, patterned response triggered by a particular stimulus. countable, informal, uncountable
"Old couples will sometimes play tapes at each other during a fight."
- 12 The series of prices at which a financial instrument trades. countable, uncountable
"Don’t fight the tape."
- 13 The wrapping of the primary puck-handling surface of a hockey stick. countable, uncountable
"His pass was right on the tape."
- 14 A strong flexible band rotating on pulleys for directing the sheets in a printing machine. countable, historical, uncountable
- 15 Liquor, alcoholic drink, especially gin or brandy. (Especially in prison slang or among domestic servants and women.) UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
"white tape, Holland tape, blue tape (gin); red tape (brandy or wine)"
- 16 Clipping of red tape (“time-consuming bureaucratic procedures”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable
"[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
- 1 To bind with adhesive tape.
"Be sure to tape your parcel securely before posting it."
- 2 register electronically wordnet
- 3 To record, originally onto magnetic tape.
"You shouldn’t have said that. The microphone was on and we were taping."
- 4 record on videotape wordnet
- 5 To understand, figure out. informal
"I've finally got this thing taped."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 fasten or attach with tape wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"I paid 40,000 yen for this tape recorder."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tape"?
Common synonyms include: magnetic tape, tape measure, accouple, accumulate, ace bandage, adhesive strip.
How do you use "tape" in a sentence?
I paid 40,000 yen for this tape recorder.
How do you pronounce "tape"?
Pronounced /teɪ̯p/.
Etymology
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”).