cartridge: Meaning and Definition of

car•tridge

Pronunciation: (kär'trij), [key]
— n.
  1. Also calleda cylindrical case of pasteboard, metal, or the like, for holding a complete charge of powder, and often also the bullet or the shot for a rifle, machine gun, or other small arm.
  2. a case containing any explosive charge, as for blasting.
  3. any small container for powder, liquid, or gas, made for ready insertion into some device or mechanism: an ink cartridge for a pen.
  4. Also calleda lightproof metal or plastic container for a roll of film, usually containing both the supply and take-up spools, as well as a pressure plate, for rapid loading without the necessity of threading the film.
  5. pickup (def. 8).
  6. a flat, compact container enclosing an endless loop of audiotape, operated by inserting into a slot in a player.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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