disk

Also disc

[disk]

noun

1. any thin, flat, circular plate or object.

2. any surface that is flat and round, or seemingly so.

   the disk of the sun.

3. disc.

4. 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.

5. Botany, Zoology.,  any of various roundish, flat structures or parts.

6. intervertebral disk.

7. Botany.,  (in the daisy and other composite plants) the central portion of the flower head, composed of tubular florets.

8. any of the circular steel blades that form the working part of a disk harrow.

9. Mathematics.,  the domain bounded by a circle.

10. Archaic.,  discus.

verb (used with object)

1. Informal.,  disc.

2. to cultivate (soil) with a disk harrow.

disk

/ dɪsk /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US and Canadian) of disc

2. 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

disk

1. 1. See magnetic disk

   2. See optical disk

2. See intervertebral disk

3. The round, flat center, consisting of many disk flowers, found in the inflorescences of many composite plants such as the daisy.

Other Word Forms

• disklike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disk¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin discus discus; dish

Example Sentences

Analysts have continually updated their estimates for storage stocks over the last several weeks due to hard disk drive demand.

Read more on Barron's

When viewed from the side, visible light and X-rays are blocked by the disk, making the supermassive black hole at the center to remain hidden.

Read more on Space Scoop

A Replay executive predicted, “Five years from now, all TV will be watched from a hard disk.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Roomba vacuum, which Brooks’ company developed and markets, “looks like a flat disk. It cleans floors.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Dominique Pelicot filmed the assaults and neatly catalogued them on a hard disk, which allowed investigators to track down the majority of the individuals involved.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• disc 
• plate 
• platter