cassette

noun

cas·​sette kə-ˈset How to pronounce cassette (audio)
ka-
variants or less commonly casette
Synonyms of cassettenext
1
: casket sense 1
2
: a usually flat case or cartridge that can be easily loaded or unloaded: such as
a
: a lightproof magazine for holding film or plates for use in a camera
b
: a plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape passing from one reel to another
3
: a cassette tape player

Examples of cassette in a Sentence

The songs are available on cassette.
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.
Over the course of more than four decades in the industry, he’s taken on the transition from cassettes into the CD era, rampant piracy in the Napster and file-sharing era, and the streaming revolution with Spotify. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026 Revered producer Paul Hicks restored the demos and live recordings from the original cassette tapes and soundboard sources. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026 This year, while the festival sells merchandise including shirts, pictures and postcards, Rory Gallagher’s music (on CD, vinyl or cassette) was nowhere to be found. — Ed Christman, Billboard, 7 Oct. 2026 Its key discovery is a collection of cassette recordings Rabal recorded his memoirs on. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cassette

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, diminutive of dialect French (Norman & Picard) casse case

First Known Use

1793, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cassette was in 1793

Rhymes for cassette

See All Rhymes for cassette

Browse Nearby Words

casses
cassette
cassia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cassette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cassette. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cassette

noun
cas·​sette kə-ˈset How to pronounce cassette (audio)
ka-
: a container holding film, photographic plates, or magnetic tape

Medical Definition

cassette

noun
cas·​sette
variants also casette
kə-ˈset, ka- How to pronounce cassette (audio)
1
: a lightproof magazine for holding film or plates for use in a camera
specifically : one for holding the intensifying screens and film in X-ray photography
2
: a small plastic cartridge containing magnetic tape with the tape on one reel passing to the other

More from Merriam-Webster on cassette

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for cassette

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cassette

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All