disk

disk — noun

1. A flat, round piece of plastic or metal that stores computer data, music, or oth

1.nounB1
Definition

A flat, round piece of plastic or metal that stores computer data, music, or other information in a way that a machine can read.

Example

Xiu saved all her school project files onto an external hard disk.

collocation: hard disk / external hard disk

Minh accidentally scratched the game disk, so it would not load anymore.

collocation: game disk

Common collocations
  • hard disk
  • compact disk
  • floppy disk
  • disk drive
  • disk space
  • external disk
  • disk storage
Synonyms
  • hard drive

    specifically a computer's permanent storage device, not removable like a CD

  • CD

    a type of optical disk used for music or data, narrower in meaning

  • platter

    the internal metal disk inside a hard drive; technical jargon

Grammar Patterns

a/the + disk

disk + noun (disk drive, disk space)

noun + disk (hard disk, compact disk)

Usage Note

In computing, 'disk' often refers to magnetic storage (hard disk drive), while 'disc' is more common for optical media (CD, DVD). This distinction is not always followed in everyday use.

Common Mistakes

My computer has two disc drives.
My computer has two disk drives.
In American English, the spelling 'disk' is standard for computer hard drives and floppy drives.

2. Any object that is thin, flat, and round in shape, like a circle you can hold.

2.nounA2
Definition

Any object that is thin, flat, and round in shape, like a circle you can hold.

Example

A metal disk about the size of a dinner plate sat on the workbench.

The children watched the bright disk of the sun sink below the hills.

metaphorical use: disk of the sun

Common collocations
  • metal disk
  • disk of light
  • disk of the sun
  • flat disk
  • round disk
Synonyms
  • disc

    same meaning, different spelling; 'disc' is more common in British English

  • circle

    a two-dimensional shape; 'disk' implies a physical object with thickness

  • plate

    a round flat object, but implies a specific function (eating) and greater thickness

Grammar Patterns

a/the + disk

disk + of + noun (disk of metal, disk of the sun)

3. A different way of writing the word 'disc.' The two spellings are used in differ

3.nounB2
Definition

A different way of writing the word 'disc.' The two spellings are used in different varieties of English and different technical contexts.

Example

Eitan's spell-checker flagged 'disc' as an error, so he changed it to 'disk'.

spelling contrast: disc vs disk

Tanvi noticed her American textbook uses 'disk' while the British edition writes 'disc.'

regional spelling difference

Synonyms
  • disc

    the same word with a different spelling; the choice depends on region and context

Usage Note

In American English, 'disk' is standard for computer storage. In British English, 'disc' is preferred for most senses, especially optical media such as CDs and DVDs. For medical terms like 'slipped disc', the 'c' spelling is almost universal.

disk — verb

Word family

  • disc
    nounB1
  • disked
    adjectiveC1
  • disking
    nounC1
  • diskless
    adjectiveC1
  • diskette
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to circular storage media, but their modern usage differs. 'Disk' is a general term for any flat circular storage device and is also the accepted spelling for magnetic computer storage. 'Hard drive' (or 'hard disk drive') specifically means the permanent internal storage of a computer — it is not removable like a CD or DVD. 'CD' (compact disc) and 'DVD' (digital versatile disc) are optical media that you insert and remove from a drive. In everyday speech, someone might say 'I saved it to disk' to mean any storage, but 'I saved it to the hard drive' is more specific. For music, you still 'play a CD' or 'listen to a record' — you would not say 'play a disk'.

disk ↗hard driveCD ↗DVD ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • read from a disk
  • write to a disk
  • save onto a disk
  • load from a disk

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'disk' comes from Latin 'discus', meaning a round flat object or a discus for throwing. Latin borrowed it from Greek 'diskos' (δίσκος). The spelling split into 'disk' (preferred in American English) and 'disc' (preferred in British English) around the 19th century. In computing, American spelling conventions made 'disk' the standard term for magnetic storage devices starting in the 1950s.