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disco

noun dis·co \ ˈdis-(ˌ)kō \
|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Definition of disco

plural discos
1 : a nightclub for dancing to live and recorded music
2 : popular dance music characterized by hypnotic rhythm, repetitive lyrics, and electronically produced sounds

See disco defined for English-language learners

See disco defined for kids

Recent Examples of disco from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disco.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

A style of dance music that arose in the mid-1970s, disco (short for discotheque), is characterized by hypnotic rhythm, repetitive lyrics, and electronically produced sounds. Disco evolved largely from New York underground nightclubs, in which disc jockeys would play dance records for hours without interruption, taking care to synchronize the beats so as to make a seamless change between records. Artists such as Donna Summer, Chic, and the Bee Gees, had hits in the genre, which peaked with the release of the film Saturday Night Fever (1977). Disco faded after 1980, but its influence, especially its sequenced electronic beats, still affects much of pop music.

Origin and Etymology of disco

short for discotheque

2

disco

verb

Definition of disco

intransitive verb
: to dance to disco music

Recent Examples of disco from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disco.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of disco

1976

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year
NEW! Time Traveler

disco-

combining form

Definition of disco-

— see disc-

DISCO Defined for English Language Learners

disco

noun

Definition of disco for English Language Learners

  • : a nightclub where people dance to recorded popular music

  • : a type of popular dance music

Learn More about disco

  1. Spanish Central: Translation of disco Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about disco

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