Definition

Noun: 1. A continuous thin ribbon of paper on which information (historically stock market prices or news) is printed by a telegraphic machine (ticker). This is the original and primary meaning, referring to the physical paper strip produced by stock tickers and early news wire machines.

Usage

• The term is used to refer to the physical paper output of historical information transmission systems.
• It is most commonly associated with financial markets and historic news dissemination.

Examples

• "In the early 20th century, brokers watched the ticker tape for the latest stock prices."
• "The newsroom was filled with the sound of machines printing out ticker tape with breaking news bulletins."
• "Old photographs of Wall Street often show offices with ticker tape littering the floor."

Advanced Usage

• "Ticker tape parade": A celebratory parade in a city, traditionally in New York City's financial district, where shredded paper (originally actual ticker tape, now often confetti) is thrown from office windows onto the procession below.
  • Example: "The astronauts were honored with a ticker tape parade down Broadway."

Variants and Related Words

• Ticker (noun): The machine that prints ticker tape; also a colloquial term for the heart.
• Tape (noun): A general term for a narrow strip of material, such as paper, plastic, or magnetic material.

Synonyms

• Paper ribbon
• Teleprinter tape (a more general, technical term)

Notes on Meaning

• The core meaning is intrinsically linked to the obsolete technology of the stock ticker machine. Modern usage almost exclusively appears in the historical context or in the fixed phrase "ticker tape parade." It does not refer to modern electronic news tickers or scrolling displays.

Noun

1. a continuous thin ribbon of paper on which stock quotes are written