4 N‑VAR A tape is a strip of cloth used to tie things together or to identify who a piece of clothing belongs to. □ The books were all tied up with tape.
5 N‑COUNT A tape is a ribbon that is stretched across the finishing line of a race. □ …the finishing tape.
6 N‑UNCOUNT Tape is a sticky strip of plastic used for sticking things together.
7 VERB If you tape one thing to another, you attach it using sticky tape. □ [V n + onto/to ] I taped the base of the feather onto the velvet. □ [be V -ed adj] The envelope has been tampered with and then taped shut again.
8 → see also magnetic tape , masking tape , red tape , sticky tape , videotape
ta pe meas|ure (tape measures ) N‑COUNT A tape measure is a strip of metal, plastic, or cloth which has numbers marked on it and is used for measuring.
ta|per /te I pə r / (tapers , tapering , tapered )
1 VERB If something tapers , or if you taper it, it becomes gradually thinner at one end. □ [V ] Unlike other trees, it doesn't taper very much. It stays fat all the way up. □ [V n] Taper the shape of your eyebrows towards the outer corners. [Also V prep] ● ta|pered ADJ □ …the elegantly tapered legs of the dressing-table.
2 VERB If something tapers or is tapered , it gradually becomes reduced in amount, number, or size until it is greatly reduced. □ [V ] There are signs that inflation is tapering. □ [be V -ed] If you take this medicine continuously, withdrawal must be tapered. ● PHRASAL VERB Taper off means the same as taper . □ [V P ] Immigration is expected to taper off. □ [V P n] I suggested that we start to taper off the counseling sessions. [Also V n P ]
3 N‑COUNT A taper is a long, thin candle or a thin wooden strip that is used for lighting fires.
▸ taper off → see taper 2
ta pe re|cord|er (tape recorders ) also tape-recorder N‑COUNT A tape recorder is a machine used for recording and playing music, speech, or other sounds.
tap|es|try /tæ p I stri/ (tapestries )
1 N‑VAR A tapestry is a large piece of heavy cloth with a picture sewn on it using coloured threads.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to something as a tapestry when it is made up of many varied types of people or things. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] Hedgerows and meadows are thick with a tapestry of wild flowers.
tape|worm /te I pwɜː r m/ (tapeworms ) N‑COUNT A tapeworm is a long, flat parasite which lives in the stomach and intestines of animals or people.
tapio|ca /tæ pioʊ kə/ N‑UNCOUNT Tapioca is a food consisting of white grains, rather like rice, which come from the cassava plant.
ta p wa|ter N‑UNCOUNT Tap water is the water that comes out of a tap in a building such as a house or a hotel.
tar /tɑː r / (tars , tarring , tarred )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Tar is a thick black sticky substance that is used especially for making roads.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Tar is one of the poisonous substances contained in tobacco.
3 PHRASE If some people in a group behave badly and if people then wrongly think that all of the group is equally bad, you can say that the whole group is tarred with the same brush . □ Football supporters all get tarred with the same brush when there's trouble.
4 → see also tarred
ta|ra|ma|sa|la|ta /tæ rəməsəlɑː tə/ N‑UNCOUNT Taramasalata is a pink creamy food made from the eggs of a fish such as cod or mullet. It is usually eaten at the beginning of a meal.
ta|ran|tu|la /təræ ntʃʊlə/ (tarantulas ) N‑COUNT A tarantula is a large hairy spider which has a poisonous bite.
tar|dy /tɑː r di/ (tardier , tardiest )
1 ADJ If you describe something or someone as tardy , you think that they are later than they should be or later than expected. [LITERARY ] □ He wept for the loss of his mother and his tardy recognition of her affection. ● tar|di|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ His legendary tardiness left audiences waiting for hours.
2 ADJ If you describe someone or something as tardy , you are criticizing them because they are slow to act. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ in ] …companies who are tardy in paying bills. ● tar|di|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ in ] …England's tardiness in giving talented young players greater international experience.
tar|get ◆◆◇ /tɑː r g I t/ (targets , targeting or targetting , targeted or targetted )
1 N‑COUNT A target is something at which someone is aiming a weapon or other object. □ The missiles missed their target.
2 N‑COUNT A target is a result that you are trying to achieve. □ [+ of ] He's won back his place too late to achieve his target of 20 goals this season.
3 VERB To target a particular person or thing means to decide to attack or criticize them. □ [V n] He targets the economy as the root cause of the deteriorating law and order situation. ● N‑COUNT Target is also a noun. □ [+ of ] In the past, they have been the target of racist abuse. [Also + for ]
4 VERB If you target a particular group of people, you try to appeal to those people or affect them. □ [V n] The campaign will target insurance companies. ● N‑COUNT Target is also a noun. □ Students are a prime target group for marketing strategies.