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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

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

Find insight on Shopify, hard disk drive demand and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

That requires storage space, creating demand for hard disk drives, or HDDs.

From Barron's • Dec. 2, 2025

The company has benefited from a spike in demand for hard disk drives, or HDDs, driven by cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 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