tape measure
9
2.0
- noun
- /teɪp ˈmɛʒər/
:
cinta métrica
- The contractor always carried a tape measure to guarantee precise measurements at the job site.
- Using a tape measure
I just simply fold over the tape measure and read what it says here.
- I just simply fold over the tape measure and read what it says here.
- And I have this tape measure has both inches and centimeters.
- I actually measured her feet with a tape measure and this was the size it told me to get.
- I think I found eight tape measures in the in the bottom of my car.
- Hi, I'm going to give you this tape measure.
- Give me back his tape measure in his keys, his drafting pencil in his order forms.
- All the bits for my drills go into that thing, or markers, pika markers or tape measures.
Examples
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I just hung a mirror by myself using a pencil and a tape measure and look how level that is.
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Okay, so first thing is to actually grab a tape measure, a pen and a piece of paper or a notebook.
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I think I found eight tape measures in the in the bottom of my car.
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We found the center simply by taking our tape measure and taking it all the way to the end point.
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Dad, get a tape measure.
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Go get that metal tape measure thing out of the garage.
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If I shop for furniture, it is always with a tape measure in hand.
Blog text (7) -
I put down the drill and picked up the tape measure again.
Blog text (13) -
Taking a clipboard and tape measure, she went out the back door.
Fiction book (1992) -
Molly sighed as she stepped over a tape measure two architects had stretched across the floor.
Fiction book (1998)
Synonyms
71
1.0
A flexible strip marked with numbers to measure length
29
1.0
A flat stick with marks used to draw straight lines and measure length
3
3.2
A stick about one yard long used to measure length
2
2.1
A long rod with marks for measuring length
1
1.3
A long flexible strip with numbers that measures length
A long narrow strip with marks for measuring length
A ruler exactly one yard long used to measure cloth and short distances
How Flexible
9
2.0
29
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning of 'tape measure' is directly and compositionally built from 'tape' (a marked strip) + 'measure' (related to measuring), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a measuring instrument made from a tape. This is a regular noun–noun compound following common compounding patterns (cross-linguistically frequent), making it transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Tape measure comes from the simple image of a long strip, a tape, used to measure things. Tailors wrapped cloth tapes around people and later builders pulled metal tapes out of a small case, so the name now means 'a tool for measuring length'.