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.

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hard drive British  

noun

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

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hard drive Scientific  

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

2. Also called hard disk drive

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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.)

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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

"But I only brought the hard drive and some clothes. I didn't bring a towel."

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 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

Hayley: For Clyde, I think laptop, hard drive, computer charger, phone, wallet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

An IT worker from Wales lost around 7,500 bitcoin he mined in 2009 after a hard drive was mistakenly thrown away during an office cleanup.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 10, 2026

Even if I’d had the money for a new hard drive, it had taken me years to amass the music collection.

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

Related Words

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