n. & v.
--n.
1. a narrow strip of woven material for tying up, fastening, etc.
2 a a strip of material stretched across the finishing line of a race. b a similar strip for marking off an area or forming a notional barrier.
3 (in full adhesive tape) a strip of opaque or transparent paper or plastic etc., esp. coated with adhesive for fastening, sticking, masking, insulating, etc.
4 a magnetic tape. b a tape recording or tape cassette.
5 tape-measure.
--v.tr.
1. a tie up or join etc. with tape. b apply tape to.
2 (foll. by off) seal or mark off an area or thing with tape.
3 record on magnetic tape.
4 measure with tape.
Phrases and idioms:
breast the tape win a race. have (or get) a person or thing taped Brit. colloq. understand a person or thing fully. on tape recorded on magnetic tape. tape deck a platform with capstans for using magnetic tape. tape machine a machine for receiving and recording telegraph messages. tape-measure a strip of tape or thin flexible metal marked for measuring lengths. tape-record record (sounds) on magnetic tape. tape recorder apparatus for recording sounds on magnetic tape and afterwards reproducing them. tape recording a recording on magnetic tape.
Derivatives:
tapeable adj. (esp. in sense 3 of v.). tapeless adj. tapelike adj.
Etymology: OE t{aelig}ppa, t{aelig}ppe, of unkn. orig.