scratch tape

One or more scratch tapes for sorting the card images.

The Scratch tape, which would tell them that the three countries had accepted his terms and ultimatum.

Keep a list of tape volumes that are eligible to be over-written (known as scratch tapes).

An output scratch tape to contain all the new ARGUS programs and all revisions to old ones.

Usually in the combining forms 'scratch memory', 'scratch register', 'scratch disk', 'scratch tape', 'scratch volume'.

In data processing, a scratch tape is a magnetic tape that is used for temporary storage and can be reused or erased after the completion of a job or processing run.

They would have it by now, so he went back inside, closed the balcony windows, pulled the curtains, destroyed the Scratch tape, and put the little transceiver into its imitation-leather case, then made certain (he other two tapes were there, ready for use.

The meaning is based upon the use in the 1970s of a scratch tape, or other storage device which was available for temporary use, to temporarily store a copy of valuable data or provide extra storage space in case a program required that space.