magnetic tape

noun

: a thin ribbon (as of plastic) coated with a magnetic material on which information (such as sound or television images) may be stored

Examples of magnetic tape in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web From the 1970s until 2008, the National Archives preserved electronic records on magnetic tape. Sean Catangui, New York Times, 14 July 2023 Tape manufacturers have been promoting magnetic tape as a more sustainable storage media since little energy is used when magnetic tape cartridges are sitting on shelves. Tom Coughlin, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2022 Options like magnetic tape, Blu-ray Disc, and even DNA may provide stable but relatively temporary storage banks in which data can live while better technologies are tested and brought to market. Charlotte Hu, Popular Science, 11 Apr. 2023 Twist magnetic tapes back into clean loops that say, Now repeat—qué onda? Hazlitt, 29 Mar. 2023 AGVs move quickly, safely and accurately along programmed routes, powered by rechargeable batteries and able to navigate tight spaces using guidance technologies including floor-surface mounted magnetic tape, lasers and optical sensors. Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 For a digital archive, the French National Library’s collection of Web data is surprisingly small—just 200 terabytes stored on hard disks and magnetic tape in the library’s data center. Ariel Bleicher, IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2011 Amazon, by contrast, offers tiered storage services, where customers pay more for hot storage and less for storage methods that take longer to access, such as on magnetic tape. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Apr. 2021 Data was recorded to magnetic tape and later transferred to a photosensitive paper strip recorder or other computer-compatible media and then plotted using an IBM 1130. IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'magnetic tape.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of magnetic tape was in 1937

Dictionary Entries Near magnetic tape

Cite this Entry

“Magnetic tape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magnetic%20tape. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

magnetic tape

noun
: a thin ribbon (as of plastic) coated with a magnetic material on which information (as sound or television images) may be stored

More from Merriam-Webster on magnetic tape

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