name
Meaning 1
a nearly extinct language spoken on Vanuatu
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
tape
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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tāp
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /teɪ̯p/
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General-American, Received-Pronunciation: [theɪ̯p]
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General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -eɪp
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CMU ARPABET: T EY1 P Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- Hand me some tape. I need to fix a tear in this paper.
- I sealed up the box with clear shipping tape.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Thin and flat paper, plastic or similar flexible material, usually produced in the form of a roll.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- We made some decorative flowers out of the tape we bought.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
Finishing tape, stretched across a track to mark the end of a race.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- Jones broke the tape in 47.77 seconds, a new world record.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
Magnetic or optical recording media in a roll; videotape or audio tape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
- Did you get that on tape?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
Any video or audio recording, regardless of the method used to produce it.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, countable, informal, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
An unthinking, patterned response triggered by a particular stimulus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, informal, uncountable
Examples
- Old couples will sometimes play tapes at each other during a fight.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
The series of prices at which a financial instrument trades.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: business, finance, trading
Examples
- Don’t fight the tape.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
The wrapping of the primary puck-handling surface of a hockey stick.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: hobbies, ice-hockey, lifestyle, skating, sports
Examples
- His pass was right on the tape.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
A strong flexible band rotating on pulleys for directing the sheets in a printing machine.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, historical, uncountable
Topics: media, printing, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
Liquor, alcoholic drink, especially gin or brandy. (Especially in prison slang or among domestic servants and women.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, obsolete, slang, uncountable
Qualifier: possible
Examples
- white tape, Holland tape, blue tape (gin); red tape (brandy or wine)
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Clipping of red tape (“time-consuming bureaucratic procedures”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 13
To bind with adhesive tape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- Be sure to tape your parcel securely before posting it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 14
To record, originally onto magnetic tape.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- You shouldn’t have said that. The microphone was on and we were taping.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 15
To understand, figure out.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal
Qualifier: passive voice
Examples
- I've finally got this thing taped.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 16
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
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he took along a dozen tapes to record the interview
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: magnetic tape, mag tape
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: memory device, storage device
Narrower terms: audiotape, cassette tape, magnetic stripe, videotape
noun
Meaning 17
a long thin piece of cloth or paper as used for binding or fastening
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he used a piece of tape for a belt
- he wrapped a tape around the package
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: strip, slip
Narrower terms: adhesive tape, inkle, webbing
noun
Meaning 18
a recording made on magnetic tape
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the several recordings were combined on a master tape
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tape recording, taping
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: recording
Narrower terms: audiotape, videotape
noun
Meaning 19
measuring instrument consisting of a narrow strip (cloth or metal) marked in inches or centimeters and used for measuring lengths
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- the carpenter should have used his tape measure
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: tapeline, tape measure
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: measuring instrument, measuring system, measuring device
noun
Meaning 20
the finishing line for a foot race
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he broke the tape in record time
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: finishing line, finish line
verb
Meaning 21
register electronically
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- They recorded her singing
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: record
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: record, enter, put down
Narrower terms: write, save, tape record, prerecord, cut
verb
Meaning 22
record on videotape
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: videotape
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: record, enter, put down
verb
Meaning 23
fasten or attach with tape
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- tape the shipping label to the box
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attach
Narrower terms: scotch tape, sellotape
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
108 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Albanian: shirit — video or audiocassette tape
- Arabic: شَرِيط (šarīṭ) — video or audiocassette tape
- Armenian: ժապավեն (žapaven) — video or audiocassette tape
- Azerbaijani: lent — video or audiocassette tape
- Bashkir: таҫма (taśma) — video or audiocassette tape
- Basque: zinta — video or audiocassette tape
- Basque: kasete — video or audiocassette tape
- Belarusian: сту́жка (stúžka) — video or audiocassette tape
- Belarusian: істу́жка (istúžka) — video or audiocassette tape
- Belarusian: ле́нта (ljénta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Bengali: টেপ (ṭep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Bulgarian: ле́нта (lénta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Burmese: တိပ်ခွေ (tiphkwe) — video or audiocassette tape
- Catalan: cinta — video or audiocassette tape
- Chinese Cantonese: 錄音帶 /录音带 — video or audiocassette tape
- Chinese Mandarin: 錄音帶 /录音带 (lùyīndài) — video or audiocassette tape
- Czech: páska — video or audiocassette tape
- Danish: bånd — video or audiocassette tape
- Dutch: band — video or audiocassette tape
- Esperanto: rubando — video or audiocassette tape
- Esperanto: filmstrio — video or audiocassette tape
- Esperanto: bendo — video or audiocassette tape
- Estonian: lint — video or audiocassette tape
- Finnish: nauha — video or audiocassette tape
- Finnish: teippi — video or audiocassette tape
- French: bande — video or audiocassette tape
- Georgian: ლენტი (lenṭi) — video or audiocassette tape
- German: Band — video or audiocassette tape
- Greek: ταινία (tainía) — video or audiocassette tape
- Greenlandic: båndi — video or audiocassette tape
- Hebrew: סֶרֶט (séret) — video or audiocassette tape
- Hindi: टेप (ṭep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Hungarian: szalag — video or audiocassette tape
- Icelandic: spóla — video or audiocassette tape
- Irish: téip — video or audiocassette tape
- Italian: nastro — video or audiocassette tape
- Italian: audiocassetta — video or audiocassette tape
- Italian: videocassetta — video or audiocassette tape
- Japanese: テープ (tēpu) — video or audiocassette tape
- Kazakh: таспа (taspa) — video or audiocassette tape
- Khmer: ខ្សែអាត់ (khsaeʼat) — video or audiocassette tape
- Korean: 테이프 (teipeu) — video or audiocassette tape
- Kyrgyz: лента (lenta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Kyrgyz: тасма (tasma) — video or audiocassette tape
- Lao: ເທັບ (thep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Lao: ເທປ (thēp) — video or audiocassette tape
- Latvian: lente — video or audiocassette tape
- Lithuanian: juosta — video or audiocassette tape
- Luxembourgish: Band — video or audiocassette tape
- Macedonian: лента (lenta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Macedonian: касе́та (kaséta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Malay: pita — video or audiocassette tape
- Marathi: टेप (ṭep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Mongolian: тууз (tuuz) — video or audiocassette tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: bånd — video or audiocassette tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: band — video or audiocassette tape
- Norwegian Nynorsk: band — video or audiocassette tape
- Iranian Persian: نَوار (navâr) — video or audiocassette tape
- Polish: taśma — video or audiocassette tape
- Portuguese: fita — video or audiocassette tape
- Romanian: bandă — video or audiocassette tape
- Russian: ле́нта (lénta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Russian: кассе́та (kasséta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Serbo-Croatian: тра̏ка — video or audiocassette tape
- Serbo-Croatian: trȁka — video or audiocassette tape
- Slovak: páska — video or audiocassette tape
- Slovene: trak — video or audiocassette tape
- Spanish: cinta — video or audiocassette tape
- Swedish: band — video or audiocassette tape
- Swedish: tape — video or audiocassette tape
- Tagalog: teyp — video or audiocassette tape
- Tajik: навор (navor) — video or audiocassette tape
- Tatar: тасма (tasma) — video or audiocassette tape
- Thai: เทป (téep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Turkish: bant — video or audiocassette tape
- Ottoman Turkish: شریت (şerit) — video or audiocassette tape
- Turkmen: lenta — video or audiocassette tape
- Turkmen: kaseta — video or audiocassette tape
- Ukrainian: стрі́чка (stríčka) — video or audiocassette tape
- Urdu: ٹیپ (ṭep) — video or audiocassette tape
- Uyghur: لېنتا (lënta) — video or audiocassette tape
- Uzbek: lenta — video or audiocassette tape
- Uzbek: tasma — video or audiocassette tape
- Vietnamese: băng — video or audiocassette tape
- Vietnamese: băng từ — video or audiocassette tape
- Welsh: tâp — video or audiocassette tape
- Esperanto: inkrubando — printing: band rotating on pulleys
- Finnish: teipata — to bind with adhesive tape
- French: scotcher — to bind with adhesive tape
- German: tapen — to bind with adhesive tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: tape — to bind with adhesive tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: teipe — to bind with adhesive tape
- Spanish: atar — to bind with adhesive tape
- Spanish: encintar — to bind with adhesive tape
- Spanish: teipear — to bind with adhesive tape
- Swedish: tejpa — to bind with adhesive tape
- Vietnamese: dán — to bind with adhesive tape
- Vietnamese: dính — to bind with adhesive tape
- Welsh: tapio — to bind with adhesive tape
- Bulgarian: записвам (zapisvam) — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Finnish: nauhoittaa — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: tape — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Norwegian Bokmål: teipe — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Russian: записывать (zapisyvatʹ) — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Spanish: grabar — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Vietnamese: ghi — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Vietnamese: thu — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape
- Welsh: tapio — to record, particularly onto magnetic tape