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

This hypothesis is also supported by other evidence, such as what appears to be a debris disk around the star. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 6 June 2026

Powell suspects the stars of TIC 295741342 also formed from a disk, but one that fragmented. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 3 June 2026

Roupp said the current stiffness doesn’t compare to the disk issue that forced him to miss three months of the minor-league season in 2023. —Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 2 June 2026

Given that Stafford was dealing with a herniated disk last year, a catastrophic injury wouldn’t exactly be a fluke. —Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 1 June 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
• obelisk
• 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