cartridge

noun

car·​tridge ˈkär-trij 

dialectal ˈka-trij

: a case or container that holds a substance, device, or material which is difficult, troublesome, or awkward to handle and that usually can be easily changed: such as

a

: a tube (as of metal) containing a complete charge for a firearm and usually an initiating device (such as a primer)

b

: a case containing an explosive charge for blasting

c

: a container for insertion into a larger mechanism or apparatus

a printer ink cartridge

d

: a case for holding printed circuit chips containing a computer program

a video-game cartridge

e

: cassette sense 2

f

: a small case that contains a phonograph needle and transducer and is attached to a tonearm

g

: a removable case containing a magnetic tape or one or more disks and formerly used as a computer storage medium

Examples of cartridge in a Sentence

The printer needs a new ink cartridge.

Recent Examples on the Web

Another Intex pick, this above-ground inflatable ring pool is a shallower version that still includes a 530-gallon-per-hour pump and cartridge, along with a repair patch if needed. —Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 6 June 2026

Then, with emergency approval from German regulators, Büttner and his colleagues connected the patient to the Hemopurifier, a baton-sized cartridge filled with sticky proteins from the common snowdrop plant. —Elie Dolgin, IEEE Spectrum, 4 June 2026

Use personal protective equipment, such as an N95 mask or a respirator with organic cartridges, when waxing. —Kathryn Crawford, The Conversation, 3 June 2026

For all those reasons, MVG believes the only practical way to get Doom running on a Neo Geo is to pack additional hardware into the cartridge, much like the Super FX2 chip that powered the limited SNES port of the game. —Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier cartage, modification of Middle French cartouche

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cartridge

• cartridge belt

Rhymes for cartridge

• partridge

Kids Definition

cartridge

noun

car·​tridge ˈkär-trij 

: a case or container that holds a substance or device which is difficult, troublesome, or awkward to handle and that can be easily changed: as

a

: a tube containing a complete charge for a firearm

b

: a holder for photographic film

c

: a device on a phonograph that changes vibrations of the needle into electrical signals

d

: a case for holding a magnetic tape or disk

e

: a case for holding integrated circuits containing a computer program

a video-game cartridge