disc jockey

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noun

variants or less commonly disk jockey

plural disc jockeys also disk jockeys

1

: a person who introduces and plays recorded music (especially popular music) on a show (such as a radio program)

Pervis Spann … was the voice for Black Chicago during his transformative tenure as a disc jockey and owner at WVON.

—The Chicago Tribune

Each Sunday, a zany Los Angeles disk jockey who calls himself Dr. Demento inflicts four live hours of … tunes on the listeners of L.A.'s KMET radio station.

—Betsy Carter and Peter S. Greenberg

called also deejay, DJ

2

: an entertainer who plays and often manipulates recorded music (as by combining tracks or adding effects) for dancing at a night club or party

The duo also hired a disc jockey … who has spun at the club nearly every Friday night since 1991.

—Brittanie Shey

also : someone who makes music (as through turntablism, sampling, etc.) that is often sung or rapped over

Having observed the rise of legendary disc jockeys like Grandmaster Flash and Kool DJ Red Alert firsthand, he [DJ Kay Slay] was inspired to try out the discipline himself.

—Nina Corcoran and Jazz Monroe

Come nightfall, [NFL linebacker Von] Miller works on his disc jockey skills, something he first started doing last season. … He said he had to cancel big plans spinning and scratching during sporting events this offseason.

—Arnie Stapleton

called also deejay, DJ

disc jockey

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verb

ˈdisk-ˈjä-kē 

variants or less commonly disc-jockey or disk jockey or disk-jockey

disc jockeyed also disc-jockeyed or disk jockeyed or disk-jockeyed; disc jockeying also disc-jockeying or disk jockeying or disk-jockeying; disc jockeys also disc-jockeys or disk jockeys or disk-jockeys

transitive + intransitive

: to perform the role of a disc jockey : to act as a disc jockey for

Max Media's Chad Evans disc jockeyed the event. He said he had a variety of music ranging several decades queued for the evening.

—Sarah Desantis

[DJ Tom] Joyner transformed radio when he began disc jockeying in the Dallas and Chicago markets.

—Lynn Jones

During spring breaks and vacations in college, she worked at 1360-AM … where she anchored and edited radio shows, wrote commercials, disc-jockeyed and covered Bills training camp …

—Rachel Lenzi

Examples of disc jockey in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the New York City native found his voice and career in California, starting out as an afternoon disc jockey at San Fernando FM station KVFM in 1969. —Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 28 Mar. 2024

The shooting one month ago killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old mother and local disc jockey, and two adults separate from the teens have been charged in connection with her death. —Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024

Ballistics matched the bullet that killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 43-year-old Johnson County mother of two and popular disc jockey, to the one possessed by Miller, authorities allege. —Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 8 Mar. 2024

Kansas City disc jockey Lisa Lopez-Galvan was killed in the shooting at the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 15 Feb. 2024

His concert shots and posed photos, often featuring bands arm-in-arm with local disc jockeys, became staples of trade magazines such as Billboard and Cashbox — images of the Rolling Stones, Queen, AC/DC, Fleetwood Mac, J. Geils Band and many other heavy hitters of the time. —Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 8 Feb. 2024

Some shopkeepers view Fanatics suspiciously because of its potential power, but Mr. Keller, a former radio disc jockey, has embraced the upheaval. —Ken Belson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2024

If there was a wedding, odds are that DJ Lisa G was there to disc jockey. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024

Mays, 23, was one of two men charged this week with second-degree felony murder in the shooting that injured 24 people and killed Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a mother of two who was a popular disc jockey and radio host. —Katie Moore, Kansas City Star, 23 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1941, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

disc jockey

noun

variants or disk jockey

: one who conducts and announces a radio show of popular recorded music

also : one who plays recorded music for dancing (as at a party)