disco

¹ American  

[dis-koh] / ˈdɪs koʊ /

noun

plural

discos

1. discotheque.

2. a style of popular music for dancing, usually recorded and with complex electronic instrumentation, in which simple, repetitive lyrics are subordinated to a heavy, pulsating, rhythmic beat.

3. any of various forms of dance, often improvisational, performed to such music.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a disco or disco music.

2. intended for a disco or its patrons.

verb (used without object)

discoed, discoing

1. to dance disco, especially at a discotheque.

disco- ² American  

1. a combining form representing disk or disc in compound words.

   discifloral.

2. a combining form meaning “phonograph record”, used in the formation of compound words.

   discography.

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disco British  

/ ˈdɪskəʊ /

noun

1. 1. an occasion at which typically young people dance to amplified pop records, usually compered by a disc jockey and featuring special lighting effects

   2. ( as modifier )

      disco dancing

2. a nightclub or other public place where such dances take place

3. mobile equipment, usually accompanied by a disc jockey who operates it, for providing music for a disco

4. 1. a type of dance music designed to be played in discos, with a solid thump on each beat

   2. ( as modifier )

      a disco record

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Etymology

Origin of disco

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; by shortening

Explanation

Disco is music with a heavy bass beat that’s fun to dance to. The heyday of disco was 1970s America, where people wore satin bell-bottoms and big Afros and went to nightclubs and did some serious disco dancing! When you go to a disco, you can recreate some of the dance moves of the 1970s. If you need inspiration, check out the movie Saturday Night Fever and shake your hips under a giant disco ball. Disco is an American English invention from the 1960s, a shortened form of discotheque, a French word that means both "club for dancing" and also "record library." A DJ spins records, or discs, at the disco.

Example Sentences

"They obviously love a bit of disco," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The event features yoga, sound healing and dinners as well as disco dancing at a ticket price of Aus$2,699 per person.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

“He looked at me and said, ‘Jeff, that’s my disco kit.’

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Examples include “I am wealthy,” “manifesting” and “Johnny Cash,” though he wasn’t known for either his financial expertise or his affinity to disco.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

“You look like you’re trying a new disco move, not reading the future. Gotta go like this.”

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

Related Words

• dance hall
• nightclub
• nightspot