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

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

So, when Brush looked to others to produce its recording medium, 3M was well positioned to help out due to magnetic tape’s similarity with its Scotch Tape. —IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

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