Definition of tape

1. service that reports prices and size of transactions on major exchanges; also called ticker tape because of the sound made by the machine that printed the tape before the process was computerized.
2. service of Dow Jones and other news wires.
3. magnetic computer storage medium. It is much the same as ordinary tape-recorder tape, and some personal computers can store information on ordinary cassette tapes. Tape is cheaper than disks but slower to record and access.

a thin, flexible plastic material with a magnetic coating on which data can be stored. In the 1970s, tape was a common alternative to disks as a way for computers to store files. Today, tapes are still used for backups. Tapes are much slower than disks; writing a large backup to tape can take hours.

1. service that reports prices and size of transactions on major exchanges. Also called composite tape and ticker tape (because of the sound made by the machine that printed the tape before the process was computerized).
2. tape of Dow Jones and other news wires, usually called the broad tape.

1. strip of magnetized plastic used in the recording of audio signals (audio tape) and video signals (videotape).
2. record on audio or videotape.
3. casual reference to a cash register receipt.