disk also disc (dĭsk)
n.

1. A thin, flat, circular object or plate.
2. Something resembling such an object: The moon's disk was reflected in the pond.
3. 1. The disk used in a disc brake.
   2. A disk used on a disk harrow.
4. A round, flattened, platelike structure in an animal, such as an intervertebral disk.
5. Botany. The enlarged area bearing numerous tiny flowers, as in the flower head of composite plants, such as the daisy. Also called discus.
6. Computer Science.
   1. A magnetic disk, such as a floppy disk or hard disk.
   2. The data stored on such a disk: read the disk that came with the manual.
7. An optical disk, especially a compact disk. See Usage Note at compact disk.
8. A phonograph record.
9. A circular grid in a phototypesetting machine.

tr.v., disked, also disced, disk·ing, disc·ing, disks, discs.

1. To work (soil) with a disk harrow.
2. To make (a recording) on a phonograph record.

[Latin discus, quoit, from Greek diskos, from dikein, to throw.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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