tagging
/ˈtæɡ.ɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈæɡɪŋ] /ˈtæɡ.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈæɡɪŋ] /ˈtag How to pronounce tag (audio)/ (ame, mw)
tagging — noun
1. the activity of putting small pieces of paper, plastic, or cloth with informatio
the activity of putting small pieces of paper, plastic, or cloth with information onto objects to show what they are, who owns them, or how much they cost
The airline now offers free baggage tagging for all international flights.
tagging of baggage / luggage
Eve spent the afternoon doing price tagging on all the new clothes in the shop.
Forensic officers carried out the tagging of each blood sample at the crime scene before sending them to the lab.
Zoo staff finished the tagging of each bird before releasing them into the aviary.
文法句型
tagging + of + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable; typically used with 'of' to specify what is being tagged.
2. the practice of attaching small electronic devices to products, containers, or a
the practice of attaching small electronic devices to products, containers, or animals so that their location can be checked by satellite or radio signals
The shipping company uses RFID tagging to track every container across the Pacific.
RFID tagging / electronic tagging
Vikram's research group studies the tagging of sea turtles to map their migration routes.
Supermarkets are adopting smart tagging on fresh produce to reduce food waste.
The tagging of shipping pallets cut the warehouse's lost-item rate by seventy percent.
- tracking
broader — 'tracking' can use cameras or GPS; 'tagging' specifically means attaching a device to the object itself
文法句型
tagging + of + noun
electronic tagging
用法筆記
Uncountable; often preceded by 'electronic' or 'RFID' to distinguish from physical label tagging. Subject is usually an organisation (company, research team, government).
3. the practice of fitting a lawbreaker with an electronic ankle bracelet that aler
the practice of fitting a lawbreaker with an electronic ankle bracelet that alerts authorities if the person leaves a permitted area or enters a forbidden place
The judge ordered electronic tagging for the convicted burglar during his six-month home detention.
electronic tagging for / of [offender]
A study in Manchester found that the tagging of juvenile offenders did not reduce the rate at which they reoffended.
Andrei's ankle monitor beeped when he stepped outside the permitted zone.
The British government expanded its electronic tagging program in 2023 to include suspects released on bail in London.
- electronic monitoring
preferred in American English; slightly more formal
文法句型
tagging + of + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable; common in British news. In American English, 'electronic monitoring' is more frequent. The device is typically an ankle bracelet.
常見錯誤
4. the process of adding machine-readable codes to computer data so that software c
the process of adding machine-readable codes to computer data so that software can identify, sort, and process each piece of information automatically
XML tagging allows a web browser to tell the difference between a news article's headline and its body text.
XML / HTML tagging
Xiu wrote a Python script that automates the tagging of restaurant reviews by positive, neutral, or negative sentiment.
Part-of-speech tagging helps a translation app tell whether 'run' means jogging or moving quickly.
The tagging of patient records with ICD-10 codes lets hospitals in Taipei share allergy information quickly.
- annotation
more common in academic / research contexts; 'tagging' is more used in industry and software
文法句型
tagging + of + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable; often preceded by a specific domain label such as 'XML', 'part-of-speech', or 'semantic'. Common in computational linguistics, data science, and web development.
5. the activity of adding descriptive keywords to online content such as photos, vi
the activity of adding descriptive keywords to online content such as photos, videos, or social media posts so that other users can find them through search engines or platform search tools
Facebook's photo tagging feature lets users label who appears in each picture.
photo tagging / Facebook tagging
Shirin spent an hour doing keyword tagging on her blog posts to improve their search rankings.
Minh noticed that proper tagging of his cooking videos helped more viewers find them through related searches.
Lakan uses colour tags in his note-taking app for quick tagging of work tasks versus personal reminders.
- labeling
broader — 'labeling' can be physical; 'tagging' in digital contexts implies keyword metadata
- categorising
more formal; focuses on sorting into groups rather than adding keywords
文法句型
tagging + of + noun
用法筆記
Uncountable. The object of tagging is usually digital content (photos, videos, tracks, documents). For social media, 'tagging' also means mentioning another account.
6. the practice of spray-painting or writing your own signature-style name or symbo
the practice of spray-painting or writing your own signature-style name or symbol on walls, trains, and other public surfaces without permission — a basic form of graffiti that uses quick, stylised lettering rather than detailed pictures
The city spends over two million dollars each year removing tagging from public buildings.
removing tagging from [surface]
Amani's documentary follows three young artists who turn tagging into recognised street murals.
Police arrested two teenagers suspected of tagging the railway bridge with spray paint.
Soraya argued that tagging on the canal walls was art, but shop owners called it vandalism.
用法筆記
Uncountable. Often used in contrast with 'murals' or 'street art' to distinguish simple name-writing from more elaborate pieces. The verb form 'tag' (to graffiti) is also common in informal speech.
7. the action in baseball and related sports where a defender touches an opposing r
the action in baseball and related sports where a defender touches an opposing runner with the ball or a gloved hand, causing the runner to be out
The umpire confirmed the tagging at second base and declared the runner out before the crowd erupted in cheers.
tagging at [base] / tag out
Noa practiced quick tagging drills with the team before the weekend tournament.
A missed tagging by the catcher allowed the runner to slide safely into home plate.
In kickball, a successful tagging happens when the defender touches the runner with the ball.
- touch
simpler and more general; 'tagging' is the game-specific term
用法筆記
Used as both countable ('three taggings this inning') and uncountable ('tagging is allowed').
8. a chasing sport played by children on playgrounds, where one person runs behind
a chasing sport played by children on playgrounds, where one person runs behind the rest and tries to make physical contact; the person who gets touched then becomes the new chaser
The children played tag in the schoolyard until the bell rang for class.
play tag
Daniel taught his little sister how to play tag in the park behind their house.
During recess, the first graders voted on whether to play tag or hide-and-seek.
The rule in their version of tag is that you cannot tag someone while they are on the slide.
- it
the child who is chasing is called 'it'; 'tag' is the name of the whole game
用法筆記
Uncountable — we say 'a game of tag,' not 'a tag.' The verb for the action is 'tag' ('She tagged me — you're it!').
常見錯誤
tagging — verb
- taggingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- taggings3rd person singular
- tagginging-ing form
- taggingedpast simple
1. to fasten a small piece of paper, plastic, or cloth with information onto an obj
to fasten a small piece of paper, plastic, or cloth with information onto an object, usually to show its price, owner, or contents
Jin tagged each suitcase with a bright yellow label before the trip.
tag [object] with [label]
All the new stock was tagged and put on the shelves before the store opened.
passive: be tagged
The lab technician tagged every blood sample with a barcode and a patient ID number.
Isabela forgot to tag her water bottle with her name, so she could not find it after gym class.
Each item in the museum archive is tagged with a unique reference code.
- label
can involve stickers or printed information; 'tag' usually implies a small attached marker on a string or wire
文法句型
tag + noun
be tagged with + noun
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive ('is tagged', 'were tagged') when describing how items are processed.
常見錯誤
2. to describe someone or something with a particular word or phrase that becomes a
to describe someone or something with a particular word or phrase that becomes a kind of name or label for them
The local press tagged the young singer as the next big star in country music.
tag [person] as [label]
Ever since he fell asleep in class, Vikram got tagged with the nickname 'Nap King' by his friends.
tag with [nickname]
Arriving late to meetings every week was tagged as unprofessional by the manager at the Tokyo office.
Noa's classmates tagged her as the 'math wizard' after she solved the toughest problem in five minutes.
文法句型
tag + noun + as + noun
be tagged as + noun
用法筆記
Often passive ('is tagged as…') or used with an object complement. The label is usually a nickname or a category, not a real name.
常見錯誤
3. to follow someone closely and for a long time, often in a way that makes them fe
to follow someone closely and for a long time, often in a way that makes them feel watched or pursued
A plainclothes officer tagged the suspect through three busy city blocks before making the arrest.
tag [person] through [places]
The stray dog had been tagging the children on their walk home from school every afternoon.
Lakan noticed a man in a grey coat tagging him from the moment he left the bank.
Reporters tagged the politician everywhere he went during the election campaign.
- lose
as in 'lose a tail' or 'shake off'
文法句型
tag + noun
用法筆記
Often used in contexts of surveillance, stalking, or persistent attention. Can be physical ('tag along') or in terms of attention ('tagging a celebrity').
4. in baseball and related sports, to make an opposing runner leave the game by con
in baseball and related sports, to make an opposing runner leave the game by contacting them using the ball or a glove that holds the ball
The shortstop caught the throw and tagged the runner sliding into second base.
tag [runner] at [base]
Eve tagged the batter out before he could reach first base.
tag [runner] out
The umpire ruled that the catcher had not tagged the runner properly, so the run counted.
Andrei practised tagging runners at third base during spring training.
文法句型
tag + noun
tag + noun + out
用法筆記
Common in baseball commentary. The separable phrasal form 'tag out' is also used ('tagged him out').