cassette

noun

cas·​sette kə-ˈset How to pronounce cassette (audio)
ka-
variants or less commonly casette
1
2
: a usually flat case or cartridge that can be easily loaded or unloaded: such as
a
: a lightproof magazine for holding film or plates for use in a camera
b
: a plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape passing from one reel to another
3
: a cassette tape player

Examples of cassette in a Sentence

The songs are available on cassette.
Recent Examples on the Web That meant audio cassettes traveled by mail from Toronto to Los Angeles, and the finished animation took between three and four months to arrive from Korea. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Cord cassette Lightweight 7 1/2-foot Kevlar cord can wrap around a typical body one to three times. Olivia Diaz, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024 New releases from labels like Music from Memory and International Anthem are filed alongside reissues from Bauhaus and Betty Davis, right next to stacks of new age cassettes. Jesse Locke, SPIN, 29 Feb. 2024 Despite Melvoin’s enthusiastic pitch, CDs didn’t surpass LP sales until 1987 and didn’t surpass cassette tapes to become the top medium for music until 1991. Paul Grein, Billboard, 28 Feb. 2024 There will be several versions of the album available for purchase, including a CD, cassette, vinyl and digital album. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 Home Box Office, known today as HBO with its streaming sister MAX, would not start selling subscriptions for direct-to-TV movie viewing until 1972, and video cassette players and movie rental stores were still around the corner. Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Jan. 2024 First introduced in the 1960s, cassette tapes quickly outpaced vinyl records as the medium by which spoken words and music were recorded, distributed, and shared. Andrew Simon, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Reflecting on the importance of the early hip-hop cassette tapes, Dan points to their immense impact in spreading the sound of hip-hop organically. John Morrison, SPIN, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cassette.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, diminutive of dialect French (Norman & Picard) casse case

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cassette was in 1793

Dictionary Entries Near cassette

Cite this Entry

“Cassette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cassette. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cassette

noun
cas·​sette kə-ˈset How to pronounce cassette (audio)
ka-
: a container holding film, photographic plates, or magnetic tape

Medical Definition

cassette

noun
cas·​sette
variants also casette
1
: a lightproof magazine for holding film or plates for use in a camera
specifically : one for holding the intensifying screens and film in X-ray photography
2
: a small plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape on one reel passing to the other
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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