tape recorder

noun

: a device for recording on and playing back magnetic tape

Examples of tape recorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Eleventh Dream Day formed in 1983, and as guitarist and singer Rick Rizzo recalls, Jacobs was at the band’s very first shows, tape recorder in hand. — Kevin McKeough, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 Darth Vader sports useless tape recorder-style buttons on his chest plate. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Clarke pursued authenticity ingeniously, using tiny, hidden radio microphones that transmitted to tape recorder from afar, in order to capture dialogue with maximal spontaneity. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026 Kirk made a point to fill his mis en scene with anachronistic technology items like old tape recorders and pay phones — and having access to all of Green Day’s music certainly didn’t hurt. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tape recorder

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tape recorder was in 1932

Rhymes for tape recorder

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Browse Nearby Words

tape-record
tape recorder
tape recording
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Cite this Entry

“Tape recorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tape%20recorder. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tape recorder

noun
: a device for recording on and playing back magnetic tapes

More from Merriam-Webster on tape recorder

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tape recorder

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