tape

noun

/teɪp/

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[uncountable] a long, narrow piece of material with a sticky substance on one side that is used for sticking things together
- adhesive/sticky tape
- Fit the carpet using double-sided tape.
see also duct tape, friction tape, gaffer tape, insulating tape, masking tape, Scotch tape™, Sellotape™, sticky tape
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- adhesive
- Scotch™
- sticky
- …
… of tape
- piece
- strip
- roll
- …
verb + tape
- seal something (up) with
- use
- apply
- …
tape + noun
- measure
- dispenser
See full entry
[uncountable] a long, thin piece of magnetic material, used for recording sounds, pictures or information, especially before digital technology became available
- on tape Twenty years ago he was caught on tape in a very embarrassing situation.
- I have all my school concert performances recorded on tape.
see also audio tape, magnetic tape, videotape
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- magnetic
- audio
- computer
- …
verb + tape
- store something on
- capture something on
- get something on
- …
tape + noun
- recording
- loop
- machine
- …
preposition
- on tape
See full entry
[countable] a cassette that contains sounds, or sounds and pictures, that have been recorded
- a blank tape (= a tape with nothing recorded on it)
- Someone had deliberately erased the tapes.
Extra Examples
- The singer was miming to a pre-recorded tape.
- The tape contained damning evidence.
- What does this tape have on it?
- Police seized various books and tapes.
Topics Musicb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- cassette
- audio
- music
- …
verb + tape
- make
- play
- play back
- …
tape + verb
- contain something
- have something
- show something
- …
tape + noun
- deck
- player
- recorder
- …
See full entry
[countable, uncountable] a narrow piece of material that is used for tying things together or as a label
- The papers were in a pile, tied together with a tape.
see also name tape, red tape, ticker tape
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- adhesive
- Scotch™
- sticky
- …
… of tape
- piece
- strip
- roll
- …
verb + tape
- seal something (up) with
- use
- apply
- …
tape + noun
- measure
- dispenser
See full entry
[countable] a long, thin piece of material that is stretched across the place where a race will finish or used to mark off an area
- the finishing tape
- Police tape cordoned off the street in front of the house.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- adhesive
- Scotch™
- sticky
- …
… of tape
- piece
- strip
- roll
- …
verb + tape
- seal something (up) with
- use
- apply
- …
tape + noun
- measure
- dispenser
See full entry
(also tape measure, measuring tape)
[countable] a long thin piece of plastic, cloth or flexible metal that has measurements marked on it and is used for measuring the length or height of something see also measuring tape
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- adhesive
- Scotch™
- sticky
- …
… of tape
- piece
- strip
- roll
- …
verb + tape
- seal something (up) with
- use
- apply
- …
tape + noun
- measure
- dispenser
See full entry

Word OriginOld English tæppa, tæppe; perhaps related to Middle Low German teppen ‘pluck, tear’.

tape

verb

/teɪp/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they tape	/teɪp/ /teɪp/
he / she / it tapes	/teɪps/ /teɪps/
past simple taped	/teɪpt/ /teɪpt/
past participle taped	/teɪpt/ /teɪpt/
-ing form taping	/ˈteɪpɪŋ/ /ˈteɪpɪŋ/

Idioms

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tape somebody/something to record somebody/something on magnetic tape using a special machine
- Private conversations between the two had been taped and sent to a newspaper.
tape something (up) to fasten something by sticking or tying it with tape
- Put it in a box and tape it up securely.
Extra Examples
- The lid was taped down to hold it in place.
- The wires are taped firmly together.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- firmly
- down
- together
- …
preposition
- onto
- to
See full entry
tape something + adv./prep. to stick something onto something else using sticky tape
- Someone had taped a message on the door.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- firmly
- down
- together
- …
preposition
- onto
- to
See full entry
tape something (up) (North American English) to tie a bandage (= a piece of cloth) around an injury or a wound
- That's a nasty cut—come on, we'll get it all taped up.
Topics Medicineb1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adverb
- firmly
- down
- together
- …
preposition
- onto
- to
See full entry

Word OriginOld English tæppa, tæppe; perhaps related to Middle Low German teppen ‘pluck, tear’.

Idioms

have (got) somebody/something taped

(British English, informal) to understand somebody/something completely and to have learned how to deal with them/it successfully
- He can't fool me—I've got him taped.
- It took me a while to learn the job, but I think I’ve got it taped now.