[car.tridge] n [alter. of earlier cartage, modif. of MF cartouche] (1579): a case or container that holds a substance, device, or material which is difficult, troublesome, or awkward to handle and that usu. can be easily changed: as a: a tube (as of metal) containing a complete charge for a firearm and usu. an initiating device (as a primer) b: a case containing an explosive charge for blasting c: an often cylindrical container for insertion into a larger mechanism or apparatus d: cassette
2. e: a small case that contains a phonograph needle and transducer and is attached to a tonearm f: a case containing a reel of magnetic tape arranged for insertion into a recorder or player g: a removable case containing a magnetic tape or one or more disks and used as a computer storage medium h: a case for holding printed circuit chips containing a computer program "a video-game ~"