cartridge

American  

[kahr-trij] / ˈkɑr trɪdʒ /

noun

• cartridges
  plural

1. Also called cartouche. a cylindrical case of pasteboard, metal, or the like, for holding a complete charge of powder, and often also the bullet or the shot for a rifle, machine gun, or other small arm.

2. a case containing any explosive charge, as for blasting.

3. any small container for powder, liquid, or gas, made for ready insertion into some device or mechanism.

   an ink cartridge for a pen.

4. Also called magazine. Photography. a lightproof metal or plastic container for a roll of film, usually containing both the supply and take-up spools, as well as a pressure plate, for rapid loading without the necessity of threading the film.

5. Audio. pickup.

6. a flat, compact container enclosing an endless loop of audiotape, operated by inserting into a slot in a player.

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cartridge British  

/ ˈkɑːtrɪdʒ /

noun

1. a cylindrical, usually metal casing containing an explosive charge and often a bullet, for a rifle or other small arms

2. a case for an explosive, such as a blasting charge

3. an electromechanical transducer in the pick-up of a record player, usually either containing a piezoelectric crystal ( crystal cartridge ) or an electromagnet ( magnetic cartridge )

4. a container for magnetic tape that is inserted into a tape deck in audio or video systems. It is about four times the size of a cassette

5. Also called: cassette, magazine. photog a light-tight film container that enables a camera to be loaded and unloaded in normal light

6. computing a removable unit in a printer which contains black or coloured ink

7. computing a removable unit in a computer, such as an integrated circuit, containing software

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cartridges
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cartridge

1570–80; earlier cartage, cartrage, alteration of cartouche

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cartridge cartridges

Schick revolutionized shaving with injector razors and multiblades in a single cartridge, slugging it out in the marketplace for decades with rival shaving giant Gillette.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

On Thursday, law enforcement searched Proper’s house in Ohio and found a large quantity of boxes of spent ammunition, rounds of spent cartridge casings and tactical clothing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Founded in 2001 as an inkjet cartridge maker, it rebranded as Innovative Beverage Group six years later.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026

However, they provided little evidence to support that claim, other than that the shotgun held a spent cartridge in its barrel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

He spied the ascot beneath the flight jacket, the cartridge belt criss-crossing his torso, the Bowie knife, and the crowning touch, a World War I Von Richtofen flying cap.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

When disposable vape cartridges are put in garbage or recycling bins, they can be crushed by garbage trucks and sorting equipment at waste facilities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

"Same caliber, all the same type of cartridges," he explained, but one is banned while the other is not.

From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026

It was founded in 2001 as Ticketcart, which sold inkjet cartridges.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

With six game cartridges and plastic overlays, the Odyssey setup offered 12 different games when it first retailed for $100—or about $770 in today’s dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

There were also a few ROM cartridges, which fit into a slot on the side of the computer.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

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Related Words

• bullet
• cassette
• cylinder
• tube

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