disk
UK[dɪsk]US[dɪsk]
n
A flat, thin, round object.
n
A device for storing computer information, consisting of a round flat plate that spins at high speed.
Etymology
The word 'disk' entered English in the mid-17th century, borrowed from the Latin 'discus', which itself was taken from the Greek 'diskos', meaning a quoit, disc, or plate. The Greek term derives from the verb 'dikein', meaning 'to throw', reflecting the object's original use in athletic games. The semantic journey moved from a specific thrown object to any flat, circular shape, and finally, in the 20th century, to its technological application for data storage, maintaining the core concept of a flat, round form.
Analysis
The word 'disk' is a simplex loanword from Latin via Greek. It is not productively segmented into smaller meaningful parts in modern English spelling.
Examples
He slipped a compact disk into the player.
She suffered from a slipped disk in her lower back.
The gardener used a harrow with sharp metal disks.