videocassette recorder

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Word: Videocassette Recorder (noun)

Definition: A videocasette recorder, often abbreviated as VCR, is a machine that uses magnetic tape to record and play back television programs and movies. It works with a special type of tape called a videocassette.

Usage Instructions:

1. Recording: You can use a VCR to record shows while you are not home. Just insert a videocassette and press the record button.
2. Playing Back: After recording, you can watch the shows by inserting the tape and pressing the play button.

Example:

• "I recorded my favorite movie on the videocassette recorder last night, so I can watch it later."

Advanced Usage:

• VCRs were very popular in the 1980s and 1990s but have become less common with the rise of DVDs and streaming services. You might hear someone say, "I still have a collection of tapes from my old VCR."

Word Variants:

• VCR: An abbreviation for videocasette recorder.
• Videocassette: The tape used to store recorded video.

Different Meanings:

• The term "videocassette" refers specifically to the tape itself, while "videocassette recorder" refers to the device that records and plays the tape.

Synonyms:

• Video recorder
• Tape recorder (though this can refer to audio as well)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "videocassette recorder," but you might use phrases like:
  • "To tape something" – meaning to record a program on a VCR.

Summary:

A videocasette recorder is a device that allows you to record and watch TV shows and movies stored on a magnetic tape.

Academic

Noun

1. a magnetic tape recorder for recording (and playing back) TV programs

Synonyms

• vcr