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discotheque

or dis·co·thèque

[dis-kuh-tek, dis-kuh-tek]
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noun
  1. a nightclub for dancing to live or recorded music and often featuring sophisticated sound systems, elaborate lighting, and other effects.
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Origin of discotheque

From the French word discothèque, dating back to 1950–55. See disc, -o-, theca
Also called disco.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

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British Dictionary definitions for discotheque

discotheque

noun
  1. the full name of disco
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Word Origin

C20: from French discothèque, from Greek diskos disc + -o- + Greek thēkē case
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for discotheque

n.

1954 as a French word in English; nativized by 1965, from French discothèque "nightclub with recorded music for dancing," also "record library," borrowed 1932 from Italian discoteca "record collection, record library," coined 1927 from disco "phonograph record" + -teca "collection," probably on model of biblioteca "library."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper