disk

noun, often attributive \ ˈdisk \

variants: or disc

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of disk

1 a : the seemingly flat figure of a celestial body

the solar disk

b archaic : discus

2 : any of various rounded and flattened animal anatomical structures; especially : intervertebral disk — compare slipped disk

3 : the central part of the flower head of a typical composite made up of closely packed tubular flowers

4 : a thin circular object: such as

a usually disc : a phonograph record

b : a round flat plate coated with a magnetic substance on which data for a computer is stored

c usually disc : optical disk: such as

(1) : videodisc

(2) : cd

5 usually disc : one of the concave circular steel tools with sharpened edge making up the working part of a disc harrow or plow; also : an implement employing such tools

—

disklike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

See disk defined for kids

Recent Examples of disk from the Web

In a disk reader, magnetic polarities are induced by the polarities in the memory device.

— martin weil, BostonGlobe.com, "Peter Gruenberg; won Nobel for work that led to quicker computers," 12 Apr. 2018
The whole back catalogue is here in this 25 disk set.

— Fox News, "Gutfeld: The caravan hit a wall that is Donald Trump," 7 Apr. 2018
There is a huge range of issues an MRI can spot, including disk abnormalities in your spine, joint problems, tumors in various organs like your kidneys and ovaries, structural problems in your heart, and brain injuries, according to the Mayo Clinic.

— korin miller, SELF, "Here’s What to Expect Before, During, and After an MRI," 15 Mar. 2018
For some, making the disk stand up can be a challenge.

— maureen gilmer, idahostatesman, "Standing disks add circle-of-life element to your garden | Idaho Statesman," 14 Mar. 2018
Once the dough has chilled, roll out one disk into a 12-inch circle and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.

— chelsea zwieg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Some fantastic pies to make for Pi Day - 3/14," 13 Mar. 2018
Watching a solar eclipse from the moon, the disk of the Earth would appear over three times larger than the sun.

— matthew cappucci, Washington Post, "A stunning solar eclipse visits the moon Wednesday during the lunar eclipse on Earth," 30 Jan. 2018
On floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll one disk of 2-Pie Pastry recipe to 1/8-inch-thick oblong.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Cranberry Frangipane Tarts," 2 Nov. 2015
In a dark room in the basement of the biomedical research building at Boston Medical Center, Jai Marathe leans over a laser scanning microscope, adjusting a plate that holds a disk of human tissue the size of a poker chip.

— zoë schlanger, Newsweek, "Plantibodies Could Pave the Road to Wellness," 15 Dec. 2014

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