Disc

/dɪsk/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A flat, circular object; a thin, round plate; a disk (often used for storage).

/dɪsk/

nounneutralBeginner
General

A flat, circular object.

She put the music CD on the disc player.

💡 Simply: Imagine a pizza base or a frisbee – that's a disc! It can be a flat, round thing that stores information (like a CD) or something you throw for fun.

👶 For kids: A flat, round thing, like a plate or a CD!

More Examples

2

The frisbee is a flying disc that you can throw.

3

The patient had problems with the discs in their spine.

How It's Used

Technology

"The computer read the data from the CD-ROM disc."

Sports

"The athlete threw the flying disc during the competition."

Anatomy

"The doctor examined the patient's spinal discs."

2

A fibrocartilaginous structure located between the vertebrae of the spine.

/dɪsk/

nounneutralmedium
General

The rounded structure between the vertebrae

The doctor diagnosed a slipped disc.

💡 Simply: Imagine a spongy pad in your back, between the bones. These are discs and they help your back move smoothly.

👶 For kids: A squishy pad in your back!

More Examples

2

Back pain is often related to spinal discs.

3

A disc injury can be very painful.

How It's Used

Medical

"A herniated disc can cause significant back pain."

Tip:Think of the cushioning pad between the bones of your back

From Latin 'discus' meaning 'quoit' or 'plate', ultimately from Greek 'diskos'. It has been used in English since the late 16th century.

In historical texts, 'disc' has been used to describe various flat, circular objects, including ancient weapons and celestial bodies (solar disc).

Memory tip

Think of a pizza base - flat, round, and easily handled.

Word Origin

LanguageGreek
Original meaning

"diskos (quoit, plate)"

compact discspinal discflying dischard disc (older term)CD-ROM disc

Common misspellings

disk

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written