sticky tape
The standard British and Australian term for what Americans call Scotch tape or clear adhesive tape — the transparent, slightly shiny tape you grab for wrapping presents, fixing torn pages, or attaching notes.
Seen in the wild
Last time I had surgery (many years ago) i developed rash from the sticky tape they put bandage on with. Nearly went mad with the need to itch. Big surgery, huge scar. Today would be minor surgery and tiny scar. How t…
Trump doesn't have a strong grip on anything. Pretty sure they have to use sticky tape to keep his club from slipping out of his greedy paws.
wide rolls of sticky tape are great for cleaning up glass and protect your hands while you're doing it (or the large sheets you can get for pulling lint and cat fur off clothes, but lint rollers are a bit too stiff)
Definitions
The standard British and Australian term for what Americans call Scotch tape or clear adhesive tape — the transparent, slightly shiny tape you grab for wrapping presents, fixing torn pages, or attaching notes. It's one of those quintessentially British vocabulary differences that catches Americans off guard: perfectly logical, perfectly descriptive, and utterly normal to anyone who grew up with it. Every British home has a roll of sticky tape rattling around somewhere in a kitchen drawer.
Has anyone seen the sticky tape? I'm trying to wrap this present before she gets home.
Comments
(British, Australia) adhesive tape.
“Last time I had surgery (many years ago) i developed rash from the sticky tape they put bandage on with. Nearly went mad with the need to itch. Big surgery, huge scar. Today would be minor surgery and tiny scar. How things change. Hopefully all good for you for Friday. 💙💙💙”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Trump doesn't have a strong grip on anything. Pretty sure they have to use sticky tape to keep his club from slipping out of his greedy paws.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“wide rolls of sticky tape are great for cleaning up glass and protect your hands while you're doing it (or the large sheets you can get for pulling lint and cat fur off clothes, but lint rollers are a bit too stiff)”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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Other words near "sticky tape" (S)
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- Scotch tape70%
(US, Philippines, Singapore, Canada) or translucent pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, used for sealing items together, especially paper.
- sellotape69%
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) Adhesive tape.
- sellotape67%
(transitive, British, Irish, Australian, New Zealand) To seal with adhesive tape.
- sticky-backed plastic66%
(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) large sheet of thin, soft, coloured plastic that is sticky on one side.