ENGLISH
REFERENCE

disco

n. C / U
A2 Elementary US //ˈdɪskoʊ// UK //dˈɪskəʊ// dis·co Informal

n. a type of dance music with a strong beat that was very popular in the 1970s. It also refers to a club or party where people go to dance to this music.

n. a genre of dance music characterized by a steady rhythmic beat and orchestral arrangements, or a venue dedicated to dancing to such music. Informal in register when referring to the venue; often used as a modifier for related cultural artifacts.


SIMPLE

We spent the whole night dancing at the disco.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center hosts a disco every Friday night for teenagers in the neighborhood.

COMPLEX

While disco faced a cultural backlash in the late seventies, its rhythmic innovations laid the essential groundwork for the emergence of modern electronic dance music and house culture.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From a shortening of discotheque, from French discothèque.

Etymology 2

Clipping of discovery.

Usage

Countable when referring to a specific event or venue; uncountable when referring to the musical genre.

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