RED TAPE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does red tape mean? 

• RED TAPE (noun)
  The noun RED TAPE has 1 sense:

1. needlessly time-consuming procedure

  Familiarity information: RED TAPE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RED TAPE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Needlessly time-consuming procedure

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bureaucratic procedure; red tape

Hypernyms ("red tape" is a kind of...):

procedure (a mode of conducting legal and parliamentary proceedings)

 Context examples 

I could see that it was already a third full of bundles of paper tied up with red tape into separate packages.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There is so much red tape in these matters.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Britannia, that unfortunate female, is always before me, like a trussed fowl: skewered through and through with office-pens, and bound hand and foot with red tape.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

"What put it into your head? Did anyone tell you about Beth's giving away her things?" asked Laurie soberly, as Amy laid a bit of red tape, with sealing wax, a taper, and a standish before him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Opposite to the tall old chimney-piece were two portraits: one of a gentleman with grey hair (though not by any means an old man) and black eyebrows, who was looking over some papers tied together with red tape; the other, of a lady, with a very placid and sweet expression of face, who was looking at me.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)