hard drive

American  

[hahrd drahyv] / ˈhɑrd ˈdraɪv /

noun

Computers.

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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Etymology

Origin of hard drive

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

There have always been demand spurts for hard drives, from personal computer adoption in the 1990s, to digital music and video in the 2000s, and streaming and cloud computing in the 2010s.

From Barron's

Western Digital shares surged in 2025, driven by high demand for its hard drives, reflecting its industry dominance.

From Barron's

Increased demand for high-capacity hard drives in data centers, driven by AI, has boosted these companies’ revenues and pricing power.

From Barron's

She urges regular backups to the cloud or a hard drive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sales of hard drives to data centers soared and suppliers started signing customers to longer-term deals and flexing their pricing power.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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