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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
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.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
At the time, most of the world’s computers—massive machines that stored data on punch cards or magnetic tape—resided in large corporate offices and government labs.
—Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
Inside was a 12-inch magnetic tape containing data about new protein structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank.
—Quanta Magazine, 26 June 2024
For the next two decades radio astronomers kept gradually improving their view of Sagittarius A*, but they were limited by a lack of suitable telescopes, relatively clunky technology (think reel-to-reel magnetic tape) and the inherent difficulty of looking into the crowded galactic center.
—Seth Fletcher, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1937, in the meaning defined above
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 25 Dec. 2024.
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
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about magnetic tape
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