hard drive

American  

[hahrd drahyv] / ˈhɑrd ˈdraɪv /

noun

Computers.

hard drives plural

1. HDD.

2. (loosely) a drive for a computer, as a traditional hard disk drive (HDD) or another drive serving a similar function, as opposed to a very small, portable flash drive.

---

hard drive British  

noun

1. computing (on a computer) the mechanism that handles the reading, writing, and storage of data on the hard disk

---

hard drive Scientific  

1. A disk drive that reads data stored on hard disks.

2. Also called hard disk drive

---

hard drive Cultural  

1. The bulk of the memory of a personal computer is magnetically stored on hard disks that constitute the hard drive. Information in the hard drive is durable, in that it remains magnetically stored when the computer is turned off. (See magnetic memory.)

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hard drives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hard drive

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hard drive

All of a sudden you’re sorting through a snake’s nest of dusty cables and cords, trying to tell a receiver from a hard drive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

"Sometimes I write songs like that and they just sit on a hard drive because they are for me," he says.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Despite strong results, Western Digital’s stock dropped 6% after-hours, reflecting investor expectations amid the AI boom’s pressure on hard drive supply.

From Barron's ● Apr. 30, 2026

Under Locations, select your hard drive, then tap Save.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026

She tossed her jacket onto an empty chair and sat down at the living room table, where an ancient monitor sat attached to a whirring hard drive.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

• disk drive
• hardware
• modem
• personal computer
• supercomputer