# red tape

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The binding tape once used for holding important documents together.
2. Time-consuming regulations or bureaucratic procedures.

## Etymology
Alluding to the former practice of binding government documents in red-colored tape. First use appears c. 1658 in the publication Public Intelligencer. See cite below.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/red-tape