Origin: French suffix -ette
Cassette has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
a container that holds a magnetic tape used for recording or playing sound or video
"I still have my old Walkman in the drawer, complete with a cassette and a few songs from the eighties."
A small flat case containing magnetic tape on two reels, used to record and play back audio and video material.
"He carefully placed his vintage cassette into the player to listen to the music recorded from his summer trip."
In plain English: A cassette is a small plastic case that holds magnetic tape used for playing music or recording audio on old portable devices.
"I found my old cassette tape tucked away in the bottom drawer."
Usage: Use "cassette" to refer specifically to the plastic container holding magnetic tape for audio or video playback, not the tape strip itself. It typically describes older physical media like compact discs' predecessors before digital formats became standard.
The word entered English directly from French as cassette. It originally referred to a small box or case before taking on its modern meaning related to audio storage.