cassette

American  

[kuh-set, ka-] / kəˈsɛt, kæ- /

noun

1. Also called cassette tape.  a compact case containing a length of magnetic tape that runs between two small reels: used for recording or playback of audio or video in a tape recorder, cassette deck, video camera, or VCR, and for storage of data by some small computer systems.

2. Photography. a lightproof metal or plastic container for a roll of film, having a single spool for supplying and rewinding the film.

3. a replaceable or refillable cartridge in a typewriter or printer that contains the ribbon or ink.

4. a case or tray in a printer or copier that holds the paper.

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cassette British  

/ kæˈsɛt /

noun

1. 1. a plastic container for magnetic tape, as one inserted into a tape deck

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cassette recorder

2. photog another term for cartridge

3. films a container for film used to facilitate the loading of a camera or projector, esp when the film is used in the form of a loop

4. the injection of genes from one species into the fertilized egg of another species

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Etymology

Origin of cassette

1955–60; < French, equivalent to casse “box” ( see case ²) + -ette -ette

Explanation

A cassette is an audiotape, for recording or listening to sound. Before CDs were invented in the 1980s, many people bought their favorite music albums on cassettes. You can use the word cassette to mean an audio or a videotape, though it's more commonly used for something you listen to. To use a cassette, you need a tape player or recorder. Cassette means "little box" in French, and this describes the way it looks, like a small plastic box. The modern meaning came about in 1960.

Example Sentences

The store initially sold Levi’s jeans, records and cassette tapes and tapped into the counterculture vibe that was sweeping the nation.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

Modern versions of retro staples like a portable cassette player and a vinyl display cabinet hit the perfect note for a passionate spinner.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

In scenes reminiscent of '80s Hollywood blockbuster Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Steve Wainwright lives in his home among huge objects including a giant pencil, clothes peg, audio cassette and a 13-amp plug.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

Though cassette culture is enjoying its own period of rediscovery — albeit on a far smaller scale — he hasn’t seen a market emerge for newly engineered tape decks.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026

Jenna steals away to press "play" on the cassette player she'd hidden in a corner, and soft music wafts through the whole room at just the right volume.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• tape