Meaning & use
cello tape
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountable
Clear, thin, sticky tape sold on a roll and used for wrapping gifts, mending paper and sticking things together.
Grammar: Not counted directly: some cello tape, a roll of cello tape.
Patterns
- a roll of cello tape
- stick something with cello tape
Pass me the cello tape so I can wrap this present.
He held the torn page together with a strip of cello tape.
We ran out of cello tape halfway through wrapping the gifts.
Common combinations
- roll of cello tape
- Buy a roll of cello tape at the shop.
- strip of cello tape
- A strip of cello tape fixed the poster.
- stick with cello tape
- She stuck the card to the wall with cello tape.
- cello tape dispenser
- The cello tape dispenser sat on his desk.
Synonyms and how they differ
- sticky tape
- Sticky tape is the generic British term and carries no brand association.
- Scotch tape
- Scotch tape is the American brand name used as a general word, much as cello tape is in Britain.
- adhesive tape
- Adhesive tape is more formal and covers any tape with glue, including cloth and masking tape.
Word family
- tape noun
- narrow strip of sticky material
- tape verb
- to fasten with tape
- cellophane noun
- the clear film material the tape was originally made from
Commonly confused: cello tape or masking tape?
cello tape vs masking tape
Masking tape is paper-based, not clear, and used to cover edges while painting.
Practice
Which word is most likely to be used by a British speaker for clear sticky tape for wrapping gifts?
Choose one answer.
Cello tape is the clear tape. Duct, masking and gaffer tapes are thick, opaque or paper-based tapes for other jobs.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cello tape”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.