tape

tape — noun

1. a long, flexible plastic ribbon covered in magnetic material, used to capture an

1.nounB1
Definition

a long, flexible plastic ribbon covered in magnetic material, used to capture and store sound, moving images, or computer information

Example

João found an old box of cassette tapes in his grandmother's attic.

cassette tape — common physical format for recorded sound

The police interview was captured on tape and later used in court.

passive: captured on tape

Common collocations
  • cassette tape
  • video tape
  • audio tape
  • magnetic tape
  • on tape
  • tape recorder
  • tape deck
  • tape library
  • tape backup
Synonyms
  • cassette

    specifically a sealed plastic case containing magnetic tape, common for audio

  • videotape

    magnetic tape formatted specifically for recording video signals

  • recording

    broader term — can refer to any captured audio/video, not necessarily on tape

Grammar Patterns

tape + noun (cassette tape, video tape)

on tape

Usage Note

This sense is declining in everyday use because digital storage has largely replaced magnetic tape. The phrase 'on tape' still appears in fixed expressions meaning 'recorded.'

Common Mistakes

I saved the video on a tape.' (when referring to a digital file on a memory card)
I saved the video on a memory card.
'tape' specifically means magnetic tape, not any storage medium.
I need a tape for my USB drive.
I need a USB flash drive.
a USB drive uses flash memory, not magnetic tape.

2. a band of sticky-backed material that can be pressed onto surfaces to join, seal

2.nounA2
Definition

a band of sticky-backed material that can be pressed onto surfaces to join, seal, or repair them

Example

Nkechi used a strip of clear tape to fix the torn page of the book.

collocation: a strip of tape

Faisal wrapped the gift box with colourful tape and a matching bow.

Common collocations
  • duct tape
  • masking tape
  • surgical tape
  • electrical tape
  • double-sided tape
  • packing tape
  • a roll of tape
  • a strip of tape
  • a piece of tape
Synonyms
  • adhesive tape

    more formal and less common in everyday speech

  • sticky tape

    common in British English for general-purpose adhesive tape

Grammar Patterns

a strip/piece of tape

tape + noun (duct tape, masking tape)

Usage Note

Compound nouns with the specific type of tape are extremely common: 'duct tape' (strong, waterproof), 'masking tape' (removable, for painting), 'electrical tape' (insulating, for wires). These are treated as fixed compound nouns, not free combinations.

Common Mistakes

Use tape to stick the poster on the wall.' (when a specific type of tape is needed)
Use double-sided tape to stick the poster on the wall without showing any adhesive.
naming the tape type makes the instruction clearer.

3. a breakable band put in place at the end of a running track, so the leading athl

3.nounB2
Definition

a breakable band put in place at the end of a running track, so the leading athlete hits and tears it at the finish

Example

The lead runner broke the tape with her chest and won the gold medal.

collocation: break the tape

Volunteers stretched a red tape across the finish line before the race began.

Common collocations
  • break the tape
  • the finishing tape
  • snap the tape
  • stretch a tape across
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

break the tape

the finishing tape

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in the context of foot races or track events. 'Breaking the tape' is a fixed idiom that means winning the race.

Common Mistakes

The runner broke the tape of the package.
The runner broke the tape at the finish line.
this sense of 'tape' only refers to the race-finish ribbon.

4. a long, bendable ruler marked with measurement divisions, used for finding how l

4.nounB1
Definition

a long, bendable ruler marked with measurement divisions, used for finding how long or wide something is

Example

Omar measured the window frame with a tape and wrote the numbers down.

A tailor's tape is flexible so it can curve easily around arms and legs.

compound noun: tailor's tape

Common collocations
  • tape measure
  • measuring tape
  • a tape
  • tailor's tape
  • retractable tape
  • measure with a tape
  • tape readings
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

measure [something] with a tape

a tape measure

Usage Note

Often shortened from 'tape measure' or 'measuring tape' in informal speech. Professional contexts usually specify the type: 'tailor's tape' (cloth), 'retractable tape' (metal coil), 'surveyor's tape' (long-distance).

Common Mistakes

I need a tape to stick these papers together.' (when meaning adhesive)
I need sticky tape to stick these papers together.
'tape' alone is ambiguous between adhesive tape and measuring tape; specify the type.
Idioms

on tape

idiom

recorded using magnetic tape (or, by extension, any recording medium) rather than happening live

The TV show is pre-recorded on tape, so there is no live audience.

red tape

idiom

official rules and processes that cause delay and seem unnecessary

The new business could not open for months because of government red tape.

Immigration applications often get stuck in red tape for years.

tape — verb

tape — adjective

Word family

  • taped
    adjectiveB1
  • taping
    nounB2
  • taper
    nounC1
  • tapeless
    adjectiveC1
  • tape-record
    verbB2
  • tape-recorder
    nounB1
  • red tape
    idiomB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five terms describe types of sticky strip used for fastening, but they differ in specificity and use. 'Adhesive tape' is the formal, catch-all term suitable for product labels and technical writing. 'Sticky tape' is the everyday British English word for general-purpose transparent office tape — less common in American English, where 'Scotch tape' (a brand name) dominates colloquially. 'Duct tape' refers to a strong, silver-grey, waterproof tape used for repairs and construction; its name comes from its original use sealing heating ducts. 'Masking tape' is a lightly sticky, paper tape designed to be removed without leaving residue, primarily used to protect surfaces during painting. 'Packing tape' is a strong, clear or brown tape used specifically for sealing cardboard boxes for shipping or storage. Choosing the right term depends on the material being joined: you would use duct tape for a broken garden hose, masking tape to mark paint lines on a wall, and packing tape to close a moving box.

adhesive tapesticky tapeduct tapemasking tapepacking tape

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • tightly taped
  • carefully taped
  • securely taped

Phrases

  • a roll of tape
  • a strip of tape
  • a piece of tape
  • on tape
  • break the tape

Prepositions

  • on tape
  • off tape
  • with tape
  • tape to [surface]

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'tape' comes from Old English 'tæppe,' meaning a narrow strip of cloth used for tying or binding. It entered Middle English as 'tape' with the same meaning. By the 1800s, the word was used for measuring strips marked with units. The adhesive sense appeared in the early 1900s with the invention of pressure-sensitive tape. The magnetic recording meaning emerged in the 1940s when German engineers developed magnetic recording tape during World War II, and the term spread globally in the 1950s as tape recorders became household items. The verb senses — both for recording and for fastening — followed naturally from the noun.