disk

1 of 2

noun

ˈdisk 

variants or disc

plural disks or discs

1

a

: the seemingly flat figure of a celestial body

the solar disk

b

archaic : discus

2

usually disc : any of various rounded and flattened animal anatomical structures

especially : intervertebral disc see also slipped disc

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 disc: such as

(1)

: videodisc

(2)

: cd

d

usually disc : a rotor in a disc brake

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

ˈdisk-ˌlīk 

adjective

or disclike

disklike particles

Illustration of disk

• disk 3 D

disk

2 of 2

verb

variants or disc

disked or disced; disking or discing; disks or discs

transitive verb

: to cultivate with an implement (such as a harrow or plow) that turns and loosens the soil with a series of discs

Examples of disk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

My father taught me to burn disks, to back up files, and to discharge static electricity before handling a computer’s delicate innards. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

The operation treats pinched nerves in a neck by removing the disk and fusing the bones together. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026

All protoplanetary disks remain uniform, without clumps or gaps in them at all. —Big Think, 17 Apr. 2026

Two amplifiers, each consisting of two massive 30-centimeter glass disks, are pumped by a huge bank of flash lamps powered by capacitor banks – essentially giant batteries that store electrical energy and release it in a sudden burst. —Ahmed Helal, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from Latin discus "discus, kind of plate, gong" borrowed from Greek dískos "discus," in Late Greek also "dish, round mirror, the sun's disk, gong" — more at discus

Verb

derivative of disk entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1884, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing disk

• accretion disk
• disk brake
• disk drive
• disk flower
• disk image
• disk-jockey
• embryonic disk
• floppy disk
• hard disk
• intervertebral disk
• magnetic disk
• optical disk
• optic disk
• slipped disk
• sun disk

Rhymes for disk

• bisque
• brisk
• disc
• fisc
• fisk
• frisk
• risk
• whisk
• basilisk
• videodisc

Kids Definition

disk

1 of 2 noun

variants or disc

ˈdisk 

1

a

: the central part of the flower head of a typical plant (as a daisy or aster) of the composite family made up of closely packed tube-shaped flowers

b

: any of various rounded and flattened animal anatomical structures

especially : intervertebral disk

2

: a thin circular object: 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

: CD

d

: video disc

3

usually disc : a tilling implement (as a plow) with sharp-edged circular cutting blades

also : one of these blades

disklike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

disk

2 of 2 verb

variants or disc

: to cultivate (land) with a disc