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

"It was an empty cartridge or shell casing," Civil Surgeon Kumar said.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 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

The only evidence of what had happened there was bits of cartridge paper caught in the grass by the edge of the road.

From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi

He noted the amount of paint splatter on Islas was uncommon for the weapon’s marking cartridges.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026

Officers searching the house in Hyde Park, where Mugabe was staying, have found bullet cartridges but no firearm, police have said.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 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

The factory site has a long military tradition, having made equipment for the Nazi army, then cartridges for the communist regime.

From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025

The instructors passed around spent cartridges that smelled slightly of citrus; one had enough residue left inside that my nose started to run after I sniffed it and the skin on my forehead burned slightly.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

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Related Words

• bullet
• cassette
• cylinder
• tube

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