[W/K] :: magnetic tape

  Magnetic \Mag*net"ic\, Magnetical \Mag*net"ic*al\, a. [L.
     magneticus: cf. F. magn['e]tique.]
     1. Pertaining to the magnet; possessing the properties of the
        magnet, or corresponding properties; as, a magnetic bar of
        iron; a magnetic needle.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Of or pertaining to, or characterized by, the earth's
        magnetism; as, the magnetic north; the magnetic meridian.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Capable of becoming a magnet; susceptible to magnetism;
        as, the magnetic metals.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Endowed with extraordinary personal power to excite the
        feelings and to win the affections; attractive; inducing
        attachment.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              She that had all magnetic force alone. --Donne.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     5. Having, susceptible to, or induced by, animal magnetism,
        so called; hypnotic; as, a magnetic sleep. See
        Magnetism. [Archaic]
        [1913 Webster +PJC]
  
     Magnetic amplitude, attraction, dip, induction, etc.
        See under Amplitude, Attraction, etc.
  
     Magnetic battery, a combination of bar or horseshoe magnets
        with the like poles adjacent, so as to act together with
        great power.
  
     Magnetic compensator, a contrivance connected with a ship's
        compass for compensating or neutralizing the effect of the
        iron of the ship upon the needle.
  
     Magnetic curves, curves indicating lines of magnetic force,
        as in the arrangement of iron filings between the poles of
        a powerful magnet.
  
     Magnetic elements.
        (a) (Chem. Physics) Those elements, as iron, nickel,
            cobalt, chromium, manganese, etc., which are capable
            or becoming magnetic.
        (b) (Physics) In respect to terrestrial magnetism, the
            declination, inclination, and intensity.
        (c) See under Element.
  
     Magnetic fluid, the hypothetical fluid whose existence was
        formerly assumed in the explanations of the phenomena of
        magnetism; -- no longer considered a meaningful concept.
        
  
     Magnetic iron, or Magnetic iron ore. (Min.) Same as
        Magnetite.
  
     Magnetic needle, a slender bar of steel, magnetized and
        suspended at its center on a sharp-pointed pivot, or by a
        delicate fiber, so that it may take freely the direction
        of the magnetic meridian. It constitutes the essential
        part of a compass, such as the mariner's and the
        surveyor's.
  
     Magnetic poles, the two points in the opposite polar
        regions of the earth at which the direction of the dipping
        needle is vertical.
  
     Magnetic pyrites. See Pyrrhotite.
  
     Magnetic storm (Terrestrial Physics), a disturbance of the
        earth's magnetic force characterized by great and sudden
        changes.
  
     magnetic tape (Electronics), a ribbon of plastic material
        to which is affixed a thin layer of powder of a material
        which can be magnetized, such as ferrite. Such tapes are
        used in various electronic devices to record fluctuating
        voltages, which can be used to represent sounds, images,
        or binary data. Devices such as audio casette recorders,
        videocasette recorders, and computer data storage devices
        use magnetic tape as an inexpensive medium to store data.
        Different magnetically susceptible materials are used in
        such tapes.
  
     Magnetic telegraph, a telegraph acting by means of a
        magnet. See Telegraph.
        [1913 Webster + PJC]

  magnetic tape \magnetic tape\ n.
     A long thin plastic ribbon coated with iron oxide or other
     ferromagnetic material, used to record audio or video signals
     digital data in the form of small magnetized regions on the
     tape; it is a common digital data storage medium for computer
     information.
  
     Syn: mag tape, tape.
          [WordNet 1.5]

  magnetic tape
       n : memory device consisting of a long thin plastic strip coated
           with iron oxide; used to record audio or video signals or
           to store computer information; "he took along a dozen
           tapes to record the interview" [syn: mag tape, tape]

  41 Moby Thesaurus words for "magnetic tape":
     Flexowriter typewriter, Teleplotter, alphabetical printer,
     bulletin board, card, catalog card, digital graph plotter, disc,
     file, filing card, film, hard copy, index card, library catalog,
     magnetic recorder, microcard, microcards, microdot, microfiche,
     microfilm, motion-picture film, oscillograph recorder,
     oscilloscope, phonograph record, platter, printout, punch cards,
     punched tape, reader, readout, recorder, relay register,
     scoreboard, scorecard, scoresheet, slip, tape, tape reader,
     teletypewriter, ticker tape, videotape
  
  

  magnetic tape
       
           (Or "magtape", "tape" - paper tape is now
          obsolete) A data storage medium consisting of a magnetisable
          oxide coating on a thin plastic strip, commonly used for
          backup and archiving.
       
          Early industry-standard magnetic tape was half an inch wide
          and wound on removable reels 10.5 inches in diameter.
          Different lengths were available with 2400 feet and 4800 feet
          being common.  DECtape was a variation on this "{round
          tape".
       
          In modern magnetic tape systems the reels are much smaller and
          are fixed inside a cartridge to protect the tape and for
          ease of handling ("{square tape" - though it's really
          rectangular).  Cartridge formats include QIC, DAT, and
          Exabyte.
       
          Tape is read and written on a tape drive (or "deck") which
          winds the tape from one reel to the other causing it to move
          past a read/write head.  Early tape had seven parallel tracks
          of data along the length of the tape allowing six bit
          characters plus parity written across the tape.  A typical
          recording density was 556 characters per inch.  The tape had
          reflective marks near its end which signaled beginning of tape
          (BOT) and end of tape (EOT) to the hardware.
       
          Data is written to tape in blocks with inter-block gaps
          between them.  Each block is typically written in a single
          operation with the tape running continuously during the write.
          The larger the block the larger the data buffer required in
          order to supply or receive the data written to or read from
          the tape.  The smaller the block the more tape is wasted as
          inter-block gaps.  Several logical records may be combined
          into one physical block to reduce wastage ("{blocked
          records").  Finding a certain block on the tape generally
          involved reading sequentially from the beginning, in contrast
          to magnetic disks.  Tape is not suitable for random
          access.  The exception to this is that some systems allow
          tape marks to be written which can be detected while winding
          the tape forward or rewinding it at high speed.  These are
          typically used to separate logical files on a tape.
       
          Most tape drives now include some kind of data compression.
          There are several algorithms which provide similar results:
          LZ (most), IDRC ({Exabyte), ALDC ({IBM}, QIC) and
          DLZ1 ({DLT).
       
          See also cut a tape, flap, Group Code Recording,
          spool, macrotape, microtape, Non Return to Zero
          Inverted, Phase Encoded.
       
          (1997-04-05)