hard disk

American  

[hahrd disk] / ˈhɑrd ˈdɪsk /

noun

Computers.

hard disks plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• hard disks
  plural

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

"What he can do is stored in the hard disk in my head."

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

I could look up some clips or study his data any time, but now what he can do is stored in the hard disk in my head.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

While PCs don’t need hard disk drives like they used to, data centers do, and for that reason, HDDs are only growing in demand.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

Rare earths are a term covering 17 metallic elements that are key for manufacturing components used in products such as smartphones, batteries, and hard disk drives, among others.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

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