1
2
3
: a string or ribbon stretched breast-high above the finish line of a race
4
: a narrow woven fabric
taped; taping; tapes
1
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape
2
: to record (something, such as sound or video) on magnetic tape
tape an interview
The show was taped before a live audience.
: to record something on magnetic tape
He was already taping when I walked into the studio.
broadly
: record sense intransitive
1
: recorded on tape
tape music
2
: intended for use with recording (such as magnetic) tape
a tape cartridge
Synonyms
Examples of tape in a Sentence
Noun
His eyeglasses are held together with tape.
The show was recorded on tape.
I was listening to a tape in the car.
She stuck a tape in the VCR.
Verb
She taped a note to the refrigerator.
I taped the box shut.
The show is taped before a live audience.
Recent Examples on the Web
Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
All of these police cars and police tape and stuff.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
To us denizens of the digital age, the state-of-the-art eavesdropping technologies in these movies, with their dials and levers and reel-to-reel tapes, look quaint bordering on otherworldly.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Adhesive pest control like glue boards intended to catch rodents and tape for lanternflies, in turn, is woefully indiscriminate.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
That’s when its main store, Mondo Kim’s, on St. Marks Place, closed, and its mighty collection of DVDs and VHS tapes—some fifty-five thousand of them—was shipped off to Salemi, a small town in Sicily.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024
Take your empty cereal box, cut an inch square in the middle, tape foil over the square and poke a small hole in the foil.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
Moving back home after college, Kornacki put together audition tapes.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several of its panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Apr. 2024
Sunlight will enter a pinhole punched into aluminum foil and taped over a hole in one side of the box, projecting the sun onto the sheet of paper taped to the inside of the box during an eclipse.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
After a return to the par-five 18th hole for the first playoff hole, Bhatia struck two shots before receiving treatment from physio Aki Tajima, who taped up the shoulder at the edge of the fairway.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Pictures of Beth’s two children are taped to the refrigerator, to kitchen cabinets.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
He was seen in the locker room with ice packs taped around both knees — not an uncommon sight for NBA players in the thick of a grueling schedule.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
In response to detailed questions for this article, a Trump spokesman referred The Washington Post to a video Trump taped for the RNC that praised early voting.
—Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Wrap the roll with tissue paper, taping the two long ends together with double stick tape, and twist the ends.
—Kit Selzer, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024
The video on the phone is 46 seconds long, but Smith said the student was taped to the chair for two to five minutes.
—Fox 19 Digital Staff, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2024
Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
Artisan guilds and filmmakers balked at the academy’s decision to pre-tape eight award categories, including original score and film editing, to limit the run time to three hours.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
Ted DiBiase cut an amazing pre-tape promo before this match about the importance of the Million-Dollar Championship.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 May 2021
Noun
We’ve been left rushing to find a stapler or tape at the last minute too many times to not show up prepared.
—Rebecca Shinners, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2024
All of these police cars and police tape and stuff.
—Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
To us denizens of the digital age, the state-of-the-art eavesdropping technologies in these movies, with their dials and levers and reel-to-reel tapes, look quaint bordering on otherworldly.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
Adhesive pest control like glue boards intended to catch rodents and tape for lanternflies, in turn, is woefully indiscriminate.
—Lauren Oster, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024
That’s when its main store, Mondo Kim’s, on St. Marks Place, closed, and its mighty collection of DVDs and VHS tapes—some fifty-five thousand of them—was shipped off to Salemi, a small town in Sicily.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024
Take your empty cereal box, cut an inch square in the middle, tape foil over the square and poke a small hole in the foil.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
Moving back home after college, Kornacki put together audition tapes.
—Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2024
Sewn rim tape material at the top of the envelope was frayed and several of its panels were damaged.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Verb
The Allmans’ iconic 1971 live album At Fillmore East, taped just seven months before Duane’s death, is perhaps the best showcase for Betts’ and Duane’s six-string synergy.
—Spin Staff, SPIN, 18 Apr. 2024
Sunlight will enter a pinhole punched into aluminum foil and taped over a hole in one side of the box, projecting the sun onto the sheet of paper taped to the inside of the box during an eclipse.
—Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
After a return to the par-five 18th hole for the first playoff hole, Bhatia struck two shots before receiving treatment from physio Aki Tajima, who taped up the shoulder at the edge of the fairway.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Pictures of Beth’s two children are taped to the refrigerator, to kitchen cabinets.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 4 Apr. 2024
He was seen in the locker room with ice packs taped around both knees — not an uncommon sight for NBA players in the thick of a grueling schedule.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
In response to detailed questions for this article, a Trump spokesman referred The Washington Post to a video Trump taped for the RNC that praised early voting.
—Isaac Arnsdorf, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
Wrap the roll with tissue paper, taping the two long ends together with double stick tape, and twist the ends.
—Kit Selzer, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Mar. 2024
The video on the phone is 46 seconds long, but Smith said the student was taped to the chair for two to five minutes.
—Fox 19 Digital Staff, The Enquirer, 27 Mar. 2024
Adjective
This time, all 23 categories will be presented live at the event after last year's decision to pre-tape eight competitive categories sparked backlash from industry professionals.
—Emlyn Travis, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
Artisan guilds and filmmakers balked at the academy’s decision to pre-tape eight award categories, including original score and film editing, to limit the run time to three hours.
—Ryan Faughnder, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2022
Ted DiBiase cut an amazing pre-tape promo before this match about the importance of the Million-Dollar Championship.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes, 18 May 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to tape
Dictionary Entries Near tape
Cite this Entry
“Tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tape. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tape
1 of 2 noun1
: a narrow band of woven fabric
2
: a string stretched breast-high above the finishing line of a race
3
: a narrow flexible strip or band
especially
: magnetic tape
4
: a recording made on magnetic tape
tape
2 of 2 verb
taped; taping
1
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape
2
: to measure with a tape measure
3
Medical Definition
tape
1 of 2 noun
: a narrow band of woven fabric
especially
: adhesive tape
tape
2 of 2 transitive verb
taped; taping
: to fasten, tie, bind, cover, or support with tape and especially adhesive tape
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