disco

¹

[ dis-koh ]

noun

, plural dis·cos.

1. discotheque.
2. a style of popular music for dancing, usually recorded and with complex electronic instrumentation, in which simple, repetitive lyrics are subordinated to a heavy, pulsating, rhythmic beat.
3. any of various forms of dance, often improvisational, performed to such music.

adjective

1. of or relating to a disco or disco music.
2. intended for a disco or its patrons.

verb (used without object)

, dis·coed, dis·co·ing.

1. to dance disco, especially at a discotheque.

disco-

²

1. a combining form representing disk or disc in compound words:

   discifloral.

2. a combining form meaning “phonograph record”, used in the formation of compound words:

   discography.

disco

/ ˈdɪskəʊ /

noun

1. 1. an occasion at which typically young people dance to amplified pop records, usually compered by a disc jockey and featuring special lighting effects
   2. ( as modifier )

      disco dancing

2. a nightclub or other public place where such dances take place
3. mobile equipment, usually accompanied by a disc jockey who operates it, for providing music for a disco
4. 1. a type of dance music designed to be played in discos, with a solid thump on each beat
   2. ( as modifier )

      a disco record

Word History and Origins

Origin of disco¹

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; by shortening

Word History and Origins

Origin of disco¹

C20: shortened from discotheque

Example Sentences

Pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor is to perform and host a "New Year Disco" on BBC One as the calendar flips over to 2025.

From BBC

The 45-year-old has enjoyed a career renaissance in recent years, after her Kitchen Disco series took off during the first Covid-19 lockdown.

From BBC

Streamed live from her West London house every Friday night, it saw the star perform her favourite feel-good pop anthems, aided by a parade of sequinned dresses, disco balls and impromptu interruptions from her five children.

From BBC

Former Bee Gees drummers Colin “Smiley” Petersen and Dennis Bryon, who played with the quintessential disco group in the 1960s and 1970s, respectively, have died within days of each other.

From Los Angeles Times

The new HBO documentary “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart” explores the brothers’ unlikely path to disco stardom and the backlash that followed.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dance hall
• nightclub
• nightspot