hard disk

American  

[hahrd disk] / ˈhɑrd ˈdɪsk /

noun

Computers.

1. a rigid circular platter coated with magnetic material, on which data and programs can be stored.

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hard disk British  

noun

1. a disk of rigid magnetizable material that is used to store data for computers: it is permanently mounted in its disk drive and usually has a storage capacity of a few gigabytes

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hard disk Scientific  

/ härd /

1. A rigid magnetic disk fixed within a disk drive and used for storing computer data. Hard disks hold more data than floppy disks, and data on a hard disk can be accessed faster than data on a floppy disk.

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Etymology

Origin of hard disk

First recorded in 1980–85

Compare meaning

How does hard-disk compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• floppy disk vs. hard disk

Example Sentences

Susquehanna upgraded Seagate to Neutral from Negative, raising its price target to $280 from $150, citing strong demand for hard disk drives.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

It makes a wide variety of motors used in everything from hard disk drives to electric vehicles and also produces machine tools, inspection devices and cooling equipment used at data centers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

Western Digital is one of the largest players in enterprise hard disk drives and is gaining pricing power amid this backdrop, Travis Prentice, chief investment officer of the Informed Momentum Company, recently told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 18, 2025

Yet with streaming now dominating the marketplace, it’s possible, just possible, that a few years from now, no TV will be watched from a hard disk.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

She reads my mind—which is something she's too good at—and says, "Remember, Bobby, if you send any e-mail, erase your tracks from the hard disk when you're done."

From "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements