Word forms: plural discslanguage note: The spelling disk is also used in American English, mainly for meaning [sense 1].
1. countable noun
A disc is a flat, circular shape or object.
Most shredding machines are based on a revolving disc fitted with replaceable blades.
Synonyms: circle, plate, saucer, discus More Synonyms of disc
2. countable noun
A disc is one of the thin, circular pieces of cartilage which separates the bones in your back.
I had slipped a disc and was frozen in a spasm of pain.
3. countable noun
A disc is a record that you play on a record player.
[old-fashioned]
This disc includes the piano sonata in C minor.
Synonyms: record, vinyl, gramophone record, phonograph record [US, Canadian] More Synonyms of disc
4. See also disk, compact disc, slipped disc
disc in British English
or especially US disk (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.
a.
the flat receptacle of composite flowers, such as the daisy
b.
(as modifier)
a disc floret
6.
the middle part of the lip of an orchid
7.
a. 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
b.
(as modifier)
a disc zone
disc parking
8. computing a variant spelling of disk (sense 2)
verb
9.
to work (land) with a disc harrow
Word origin
C18: from Latin discus, from Greek diskos quoit
disc in American English1
(dɪsk)
noun
1.
disk
2.
a phonograph record
3.
optical disc
4. Biology
any disk-shaped part or structure
disc in American English2
1.
discount
2.
discovered
Examples of 'disc' in a sentence
disc
Roll out the larger pastry disc into a circular shape a little larger than the pie dish.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Shape into a disc and wrap in clingfilm.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I was told the rear brake discs and pads needed replacing.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He'd seen my tax disc.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A recent poll of drivers found that three-quarters wanted the windscreen tax disc back.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Squash both into thick disc shapes, wrap in clingfilm and leave to rest in the fridge for 25 minutes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The compact disc is suffering a lingering death.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The flowers are like oversized field daisies with laundered white rays surrounding large flat yellow discs.
Eddison, Sydney A Patchwork Garden: Unexpected Pleasures from a Country Garden (1990)
The second disc also contains studio tracks.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The second disc varies depending on the act.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The pounding of the waves through the seat pushed out one of my discs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What should you look for in a new disc player?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The gravy needs to be very thick and shaped like a disc.
The Sun (2012)
The brake discs have already gone rusty and you can see their condition through the alloy wheels.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Cut the steaks in half so they form two thinner discs.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Thanks to our good friend the compact disc.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The first six are contained on this disc.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They also have the right to stop cars and inspect tax discs.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Second disc features blistering early live show.
The Sun (2009)
Whether the resulting footage makes for inspiring or uncomfortable viewing is unknown as preview discs were not available.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We can arrange for vehicle road tax discs to be issued online so why not when we have lost a loved one?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The low sun is a disc behind high, thin clouds.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
A synonym of record is disc.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
THE resident disc jockey opted for a Beatles classic at the final whistle.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.
The Sun (2014)
This disc was recorded in 1992. Why the delay?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
All of these discs display his rich, confident voice at ease with ballads from Broadway and beyond.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
At the edge of this circular, flat disc of earth was a thin, hard line of blue.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Originally covered in sheets of pure gold, it housed their most sacred object, the golden disc of the sun.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The disc jockey is a postwar invention; the female disc jockey more recent, but it can be a lucrative calling.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
disc
British English: disc /dɪsk/ NOUN
A disc is a flat, circular shape or object.
The food processor has thin, medium, and thick slicing discs.
American English: disc
Arabic: قُرْص
Brazilian Portuguese: disco
Chinese: 盘
Croatian: disk
Czech: kotouč
Danish: skive
Dutch: schijf
European Spanish: disco audio
Finnish: levy
French: disque
German: Scheibe
Greek: δίσκος
Italian: disco
Japanese: ディスク
Korean: 디스크
Norwegian: skive plate
Polish: dysk
European Portuguese: disco
Romanian: disc
Russian: диск
Latin American Spanish: disco
Swedish: skiva
Thai: แผ่นดิสก์
Turkish: disk
Ukrainian: диск
Vietnamese: vật hình đĩa
All related terms of 'disc'
disc film
a film in the shape of a disc made for a disc camera
gold disc
(in Britain ) an album certified to have sold 250 000 copies or a single certified to have sold 500 000 copies
sun disc
a disc symbolizing the sun, esp one flanked by two serpents and the extended wings of a vulture , used as a religious figure in ancient Egypt
tax disc
a paper disc displayed on the windscreen of a motor vehicle showing that the tax due on it has been paid
black disc
a conventional black vinyl gramophone record as opposed to a compact disc
brake disc
a metal disc that revolves with the wheel in a disc brake
disc brake
a type of brake in which two calliper-operated pads rub against a flat disc attached to the wheel hub when the brake is applied
disc camera
a type of camera that used a film that took the form of a disc
disc drive
the controller and mechanism for reading and writing data on computer disks
disc floret
any of the small tubular flowers at the centre of the flower head of certain composite plants, such as the daisy
disc harrow
a harrow with sharp-edged slightly concave discs mounted on horizontal shafts and used to cut clods or debris on the surface of the soil or to cover seed after planting
disc jockey
A disc jockey is someone who plays and introduces music on the radio or at a party or nightclub .
disc plough
a plough that cuts by means of revolving steel discs
disc wheel
a road wheel of a motor vehicle that has a round pressed disc in place of spokes
laser disc
A laser disc is a shiny flat disk which can be played on a machine which uses lasers to convert signals on the disk into television pictures and sound of a very high quality.
optic disc
a small oval-shaped area on the retina marking the site of entrance into the eyeball of the optic nerve
silver disc
(in Britain) an album certified to have sold 60 000 copies or a single certified to have sold 200 000 copies
video disc
an inflexible disc on which information is stored in digital form by laser technology
compact disc
Compact discs are small shiny discs that contain music or computer information . The abbreviation → CD is also used.
disc shutter
a shutter in a movie camera or projector that covers the gap between separate frames
identity disc
a disc bearing details that serve to identify its wearer
optical disc
an inflexible disc on which information is stored in digital form by laser technology
parking disc
a flat circular plate
platinum disc
(in Britain) an album certified to have sold 300 000 copies or a single certified to have sold 600 000 copies
Rayleigh disc
a small light disc suspended in the path of a sound wave , used to measure the intensity of the sound by analysing the resulting deflection of the disc
slipped disc
If you have a slipped disc , you have a bad back because one of the discs in your spine has moved out of its proper position.
suction disc
a device for attaching to a non-porous surface by means of suction
accretion disc
the disc formed around a celestial body by the process of accretion
compact audio disc
a small digital audio disc on which sound is recorded as a series of metallic pits enclosed in PVC; the disc is spun by the compact disc player and read by an optical laser system
compact-disc video
a compact-disc player that, when connected to a television and hi-fi , produces high-quality stereo sound and synchronized pictures from a disc resembling a large compact audio disc
compact video disc
a compact laser disc that plays both pictures and sound
intervertebral disc
any of the cartilaginous discs between individual vertebrae , acting as shock absorbers
hard disk
A computer's hard disk is a stiff magnetic disk on which data and programs can be stored.
laserdisc
a disk similar in size to a long-playing record, on which data is stored in pits in a similar way to data storage on a compact disc , used esp for storing high-quality video
compact disc erasable
compact disc erasable: a compact disc that can be used to record and rerecord
compact disc player
a machine for playing compact discs
Secchi disk
a circular, white or colored disk lowered into a body of water to estimate the clarity of the water by measuring the depth at which it disappears
compact disc recordable
compact disc recordable: a compact disc that can be used to record only once
CD-video
a compact-disc player that, when connected to a television and hi-fi , produces high-quality stereo sound and synchronized pictures from a disc resembling a large compact audio disc
CD player
A CD player is a machine on which you can play CDs.
The monument consists of a circle of gigantic stones.
plate
saucer
discus
2 (noun)
Definition
a gramophone record
(old-fashioned)
This disc includes the piano sonata in C minor.
Synonyms
record
This is one of my favourite records.
vinyl
gramophone record
phonograph record (US, Canadian)
platter (US, slang)
Usage note
In British English, the spelling disc is generally preferred, except when using the word in its computer senses, where disk is preferred. In US English, the spelling disk is used for all senses.