Tape is a long, narrow strip of material that you stick to things or use to hold things together. The most common kind is sticky tape (also called adhesive tape), which has glue on one side. You might use clear tape to wrap a present, duct tape to patch a torn backpack, or masking tape to label your science fair project.

Before computers stored information digitally, people recorded sound and video on magnetic tape: thin plastic ribbon coated with magnetic material. Cassette tapes held music, and VHS tapes held movies. When someone says they taped a TV show, they mean they recorded it, even though today that recording probably happens digitally.

Athletes tape their ankles for support, and construction workers use measuring tape to check distances. Police use yellow caution tape to block off areas. The word appears in useful phrases too: red tape means annoying paperwork and bureaucratic rules that slow things down.

Notice that tape combines two useful properties: it's flexible enough to bend and wrap around things, yet strong enough to hold them together or mark things clearly.