discus

Etymology

1656. From Latin discus, from Ancient Greek δίσκος (dískos, “disk, quoit, platter”). Doublet of dais, desk, disc, dish, disk, and diskos.

noun

1. A round plate-like object that is thrown for sport.
   {{quote-journal|en|year=August 18 2004|author=Frank Fitzpatrick|title=The amazing story of the first discus medal winner|journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer|text=He [Robert Garrett] won even though he hadn't ever touched a real discus until just before the event was held.}}
   [Gerd] Kanter had agreed to demonstrate his throwing skill on Friday, but rather than bringing his own discuses—he usually travels with about five of them, […] August 23 2008, John Branch, “Estonia's Kanter Celebrates Gold Medal in the Discus His Way”, in The New York Times
2. (uncountable) The athletics sport of discus throwing.
   And Chris Martin took a silver medal in the discus on the opening day in the Bird's Nest, […] September 8 2008, “Weir lays down marker in Beijing”, in BBC
3. (plural: discus) A discus fish (genus Symphysodon)
   The main body of the Amazon River is too fast, too deep, and too silt laden for discus. 2008, Carol Roberts, “History of Discus”, in North American Discus Association, archived from the original on 2008-12-08
4. (rare, dated) A chakram.
   And Narayana instantly cut off with his discus the well-adorned head of the Danava who was drinking the Amrita without permission. 1893, K. M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, translation of original by Krishna-Swaipayana Vyasa, Adi Parva, Section XIX
   If with a discus with an edge sharp as a razor he should make all the living creatures on the earth one heap, one mass, of flesh, […] 1899, Thomas William Rhys Davids, transl., Sàmañña-Phàla Sutta, translation of original by Digha Nikaya