videotape

noun vid·eo·tape \ ˈvi-dē-ō-ˌtāp \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of videotape

: a recording of visual images and sound (as of a television production) made on magnetic tape; also : the magnetic tape used for such a recording

See videotape defined for English-language learners

See videotape defined for kids

Examples of videotape in a Sentence

I watched the movie on videotape.
watched a videotape of her daughter's first ballet recital

Recent Examples of videotape from the Web

Here information is stored and processed by manipulating the spins of electrons, with applications ranging from videotape to MP3 players and hard disks.

— dennis overbye, New York Times, "Peter Grünberg, 78, Winner of an ‘iPod Nobel,’ Is Dead," 12 Apr. 2018
Most of the footage that was done in the ‘60s and ‘70s was all on videotape and was erased, so there wasn’t much that was left.

— troy reimink, Detroit Free Press, "Andre the Giant featured in Freep Film Fest wrestling documentary," 12 Apr. 2018
Buchli's murder conviction was thrown out by an appeals court because prosecutors failed to disclose a building surveillance videotape that might have exonerated him.

— ian cummings, kansascity, "Prosecutor in challenged Kansas City murder case was fired for withholding evidence," 11 Apr. 2018
Click here for three easy to ways to modernize your old videotapes.

— kim komando, Fox News, "Speed up Internet, find forgotten passwords, convert VHS tapes, and more," 7 Apr. 2018
In 2015, the museum acquired a large trove of letters, early writings, videotapes, 16mm film, personal items, and early screenplay drafts of 2001: A Space Odyssey.

— matt blitz, Popular Mechanics, "Walk Into the Weird White Room From '2001: A Space Odyssey' at the Smithsonian," 6 Apr. 2018
Haspel then ordered the destruction of videotapes of the torture in an effort to cover it up.

— jill filipovic, Cosmopolitan, "Gina Haspel Breaking a Glass Ceiling Is, Unequivocally, Not a Win for Women," 13 Mar. 2018
By 1992, there were 2,000 stores, and videotape rental company Blockbuster was No. 1 in its industry.

— mike clary, Sun-Sentinel.com, "H. Wayne Huizenga, South Florida business titan, dead at 80," 23 Mar. 2018
His rapid response was held up in contrast to that of the uniformed resource officer shown on videotape waiting outside of Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during February shootings that killed 17 people.

— the washington post, OregonLive.com, "School resource officer helped stop gunman at Maryland high school," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'videotape.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of videotape

1953

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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videotape

verb

Definition of videotape

transitive verb

: to make a videotape of

videotape a show

See videotape defined for English-language learners

Examples of videotape in a Sentence

They videotaped the baby's first steps.

Recent Examples of videotape from the Web

In early April, as Khloé Kardashian prepared to welcome her first child with Tristan Thompson, the athlete was videotaped getting close to an unidentified woman in a New York City lounge, days before the birth of the couple’s April 12 birth.

— people staff, PEOPLE.com, "New Mom Khloé Kardashian’s Heartbreak: Everything We Know About Tristan Thompson's Cheating Scandal," 12 Apr. 2018
The disciples videotape the proceedings, and the locals claim that when NBC appeared to shoot some film of one meeting, the network brought less equipment than the disciples did.

— david sarasohn, The New Republic, "Antelope’s Last Stand," 12 Apr. 2018
Adams was also selling cocaine — including to his boss, who was videotaped snorting the drug in his office, according to court documents.

— rachel weiner, Washington Post, "Bribery scheme run out of Va. transportation department nets 7 convictions," 29 Mar. 2018
In the video, a female flight attendant tells her to stop videotaping.

— derek hall, azcentral, "Southwest kicks father, toddler off flight to Atlanta," 18 Mar. 2018
Waukegan School District 60's school board also discussed costs — not just of ensuring accessibility, but generally — when deciding whether to start videotaping its meetings.

— emily k. coleman, Lake County News-Sun, "Zion-Benton removes board-meeting videos while adjusting to complaint over access for disabled viewers," 1 Feb. 2018
Also at Tuesday's council meeting: -- Brennan had the meeting videotaped for future showing, in about a week, on the city's Facebook page.

— jeff piorkowski/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "University Heights committee to discuss upgrading city hall, and building a new one," 17 Jan. 2018
In a lurid twist, Charles Kushner had apparently hired a prostitute to seduce his brother-in-law and videotape the interaction because Kushner believed the man was cooperating with federal authorities.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "10 Things You Should Know About the Kushner Family," 23 Jan. 2017
In the 2006 pilot, high school cheerleader Claire is videotaped attempting suicide and then returning to the land of the living through rapid cell regeneration.

— gogo lidz, Newsweek, "The Resurrection Will Not Be Televised: 15 Ways to Bring TV Characters Back From the Dead," 29 Apr. 2015

First Known Use of videotape

1957

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

VIDEOTAPE Defined for English Language Learners

videotape

noun

Definition of videotape for English Language Learners

: tape on which movies, television shows, etc., can be recorded
: a movie, TV program, etc., that is recorded on videotape

videotape

verb

Definition of videotape for English Language Learners

: to record (someone or something) on videotape

VIDEOTAPE Defined for Kids

videotape

noun vid·eo·tape \ ˈvi-dē-ō-ˌtāp \

Definition of videotape for Students

1 : a recording of visual images and sound (as of a television production) made on magnetic tape

2 : the magnetic tape used for such a recording

videotape

verb

Definition of videotape for Students

videotaped; videotaping

: to make a videotape of

Learn More about videotape

See words that rhyme with videotape Spanish Central: Translation of videotape Nglish: Translation of videotape for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of videotape for Arabic speakers

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videotape

Definition of videotape

Examples of videotape in a Sentence

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First Known Use of videotape

VIDEOTAPE Defined for English Language Learners

videotape

Definition of videotape for English Language Learners

videotape

Definition of videotape for English Language Learners

VIDEOTAPE Defined for Kids

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Definition of videotape for Students

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