- a variation of disc.
disk
Americannoun
-
disks
plural
-
any thin, flat, circular plate or object.
-
any surface that is flat and round, or seemingly so.
the disk of the sun.
-
disc.
-
Computers. any of several types of media consisting of thin, round plates of plastic or metal, used for external storage.
magnetic disk;
hard disk;
optical disk.
-
Botany, Zoology. any of various roundish, flat structures or parts.
-
Botany. (in the daisy and other composite plants) the central portion of the flower head, composed of tubular florets.
-
any of the circular steel blades that form the working part of a disk harrow.
-
Mathematics. the domain bounded by a circle.
-
Archaic. discus.
verb (used with object)
-
Informal. disc.
-
to cultivate (soil) with a disk harrow.
noun
-
a variant spelling (esp US and Canadian) of disc
-
Also called: magnetic disk, hard disk. computing a direct-access storage device consisting of a stack of plates coated with a magnetic layer, the whole assembly rotating rapidly as a single unit. Each surface has a read-write head that can move radially to read or write data on concentric tracks Compare drum 1 See also floppy disk
-
-
See magnetic disk
-
See optical disk
-
-
The round, flat center, consisting of many disk flowers, found in the inflorescences of many composite plants such as the daisy.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of disk
First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin discus discus; cf. dish
Explanation
A disk is a round, flat circle. The face of the clock on your kitchen wall is a disk. Disk, also spelled disc, refers to anything with a circular flat shape, like a Frisbee, a penny, or a dinner plate. In computing, a disk is a device that stores data, and in the audio/video world, a disk can be a musical compact disk, or a DVD, a digital video disk. A disk jockey is someone who plays music, either on LPs or CDs, on the radio. The Greek root, diskos, means "platter."
Vocabulary lists containing disk
Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Computer Science and Technology - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Computer Science and Technology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Smith was on the injured list for 86 days this summer because of neck disk inflammation, returning for the final month when he slashed .290/.400/.548.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
As the system matures, that environment develops into a gas-poor debris disk.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Whether a disk is rich or poor in silica can reveal important information about the collision that created its debris.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Hard disk drives have become a key component of the AI build-out as they enable the storage of vast amounts of data.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
It was a necklace—a smooth silver disk on a silver chain.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
![]()
Even though these systems are uncommon, the researchers assembled a sample of 21 extreme debris disks.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
That timeline matches the ages of the silica-rich extreme debris disks observed so far.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Theoretical models suggest extreme debris disks should be relatively common, but observations tell a different story.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
Roughly one-third of the disks in the sample are silica-rich.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026
The tambourine shook and its metal disks rang out.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
![]()
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.