disc

¹ American  

[disk] / dɪsk /

Also disk

noun

1. a phonograph record.

2. disk.

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verb (used with object)

1. Informal. to make (a recording) on a phonograph disc.

2. disk.

disc- ² American  

1. variant of disco- before a vowel.

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disc. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. discount.

2. discovered.

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disc British  

/ dɪsk /

noun

1. a flat circular plate

2. something resembling or appearing to resemble this

   the sun's disc

3. another word for (gramophone) record

4. anatomy any approximately circular flat structure in the body, esp an intervertebral disc

5. 1. the flat receptacle of composite flowers, such as the daisy

   2. ( as modifier )

      a disc floret

6. the middle part of the lip of an orchid

7. 1. Also called: parking disc.  a marker or device for display in a parked vehicle showing the time of arrival or the latest permitted time of departure or both

   2. ( as modifier )

      a disc zone

      disc parking

8. computing a variant spelling of disk

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verb

1. to work (land) with a disc harrow

Etymology

Origin of disc

disk

Explanation

A disc is an object that's round and flat. It might be a toy that you throw, like a Frisbee, or it might be a compact disc with digitally encoded music. Disc is often used interchangeably with disk. A disc galaxy, or disk galaxy, is a vast collection of stars that appears flat and circular through a telescope. The discs, or disks, in your spine are circular pads of cartilage that cushion the vertebrae. But the disc spelling is more commonly used for a phonograph record on which music is inscribed and played back on a record player. And a disc jockey entertains people by playing recorded music, originally that which was recorded on discs.

Example Sentences

“We have known for decades that once you have one disc surgery, the chances of having another are substantially higher, especially if you use the fusion technique like Tiger. It’s a domino effect.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The film, released in 1983 and now available on a Criterion Collection disc in a new 4K restoration, solemnly depicts the aftermath of a nuclear attack.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

In that scenario, material would fall inward through rapidly rotating inner regions of the disc, producing much broader signals.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Woods, who turned 50 on 30 December, underwent surgery in October to replace a disc in his back.

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

In classical Latin, from which the phrase derives, an orbis is usually a flat disc, but sometimes it is an orb or globe.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• layer
• slab
• slice