cassette
UK[kəˈset]US[kəˈset]
n
a small, flat, rectangular case containing magnetic tape, used for recording and playing back sound or video
n
a lightproof container for photographic film
Etymology
The word 'cassette' entered English in the late 18th century from French, where it originally meant 'a little box'. The French term is a diminutive of the Old North French 'casse', meaning 'box' or 'case', which itself derives from the Latin 'capsa' (meaning 'box' or 'receptacle'), a derivative of 'capere' ('to take' or 'to hold'). The semantic journey is direct: from a general container, the term became specialized in the 20th century, first for a container for photographic film and later for the iconic plastic case housing magnetic audio or video tape, reflecting its primary function as a protective holder for a recording medium.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from French. It is not productively formed from smaller, meaningful morphemes in modern English.
Examples
I found an old cassette of my parents' wedding music.
He loaded a new cassette into the video camera.
The museum had an exhibit on the history of audio formats, from vinyl records to compact cassettes.