# disc

/ˈdɪsk/ (US) · /dˈɪsk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/disc
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. flat circular object

noun · CEFR B1

a thin, flat, and round object.

For teachers: a thin, flat, circular plate or similar geometric object.

- The sun looked like a glowing orange disc as it sank below the horizon.
- The ancient artifact was a small bronze disc engraved with symbols that scholars believe represent the lunar cycle.

### 2. anatomy

noun · CEFR B2

one of the flat pieces of cartilage between the bones in your back.

For teachers: a layer of cartilage between the vertebrae in the spine that acts as a shock absorber.

- He had to stay in bed for a week after slipping a disc while lifting heavy boxes.
- The patient complained of acute lower back pain resulting from a herniated disc that was pressing against a nerve.

### 3. music/media

noun · CEFR B1

a flat, round object used to store music, films, or computer data.

For teachers: a circular medium for the storage of digital or analogue information, such as a CD, DVD, or vinyl record.

- She still has a large collection of old vinyl discs from the 1970s.
- The software is distributed on an optical disc, though most users now prefer to download the installer directly from the cloud.

### 4. flying toy

noun · CEFR B1

a plastic toy that you throw through the air for sport or fun.

For teachers: a generic term for a flying disc used in recreational throwing or competitive sports.

- We spent the afternoon at the park throwing a plastic disc for the dog to catch.
- The ultimate frisbee team practiced their long-range disc tosses despite the challenging wind conditions at the stadium.

### 5. farming

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical

to break up soil on a farm using a machine with sharp round plates.

For teachers: to use a disc harrow to break up clods of earth and prepare a field for planting.

- The farmer needs to disc the field before he can plant the corn.
- After the initial plowing, the tractor was used to disc the soil to a finer consistency suitable for the delicate vegetable seeds.

Usage: The verb is transitive and takes the field or soil as its object.

## Examples

- The doctor says I have a slipped disc in my back.
- The technician inserted the recovery disc into the drive to repair the corrupted operating system.
- The interstellar cloud eventually collapsed into a rotating disc of gas and dust, providing the raw material for the formation of a new planetary system.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.