DVD

American  

abbreviation

1. an optical disk that can store a very large amount of digital data, as text, music, or images.

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DVD British  

abbreviation

1. digital versatile or digital video disk: an optical disk used to store audio, video, or computer data, esp feature films for home viewing

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DVD Scientific  

/ dē′vē-dē′ /

1. A compact disk designed to store large amounts of data, especially high-resolution audio-visual material.

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DVD Cultural  

1. An abbreviation for d igital v ersatile d isc or d igital v ideo d isc. A DVD is a high-capacity disc storage system. It is often preferred to move videotapes for its superior sound and video quality.

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Etymology

Origin of DVD

1990–95; originally d(igital) v(ideo) d(isk) ; then d(igital) v(ersatile) d(isk) ; now an abbreviation only

Example Sentences

In a matter of minutes, the 24-year-olds found themselves in the thick of its “Star Wars” DVD and Blu-ray collection, reminiscing about the special features they enjoyed as kids.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Netflix came out of nowhere in the mid-2000s to topple Blockbuster in the DVD rental market.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Four black bags of empty DVD boxes and toys so damp they were unusable - these are just some of the items left outside charity shops recently.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

It was also a remarkable vote of confidence in Ayaz, who has in 16 years risen from the bowels of Disney’s DVD business to become one of the company’s most influential behind-the-scenes leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 24, 2025

“How much do you want for the DVD player?”

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah