disk

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δίσκος (dískos, “a circular plate suited for hurling”), from δικέω (dikéō, “to hurl, to launch”). Doublet of dais, desk, disc, discus, dish, and diskos.

noun

1. A thin, flat, circular plate or similar object.
   A coin is a disk of metal.
2. (figurative) Something resembling a disk.
   Venus' disk cut off light from the Sun.
3. (anatomy) An intervertebral disc
4. (dated) A vinyl phonograph/gramophone record.
   Turn the disk over, after it has finished.
5. (computer hardware) Ellipsis of floppy disk - removable magnetic medium or a hard disk - fixed, persistent digital storage.
   He still uses floppy disks from 1979.
6. (computer hardware, nonstandard) A disc - either a CD-ROM, an audio CD, a DVD or similar removable storage medium.
   She burned some disks yesterday to back up her computer.
7. (agriculture) A type of harrow.
8. (botany) A ring- or cup-shaped enlargement of the flower receptacle or ovary that bears nectar or, less commonly, the stamens.

verb

1. (agriculture) To harrow.
   That is alkali. Mr. Kochendorfer: I have a ten-year apple orchard that I disked last year and kept it tolerably clean this spring. 1916, Various, Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916
   The next year I plowed and disked the patch of ground and planted potatoes. 1948, Various, Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report
   The soil is plowed and disked and then seeded with a mixture of prairie plants. September 6, 1991, Jerry Sullivan, “Field & Street”, in Chicago Reader
2. (aviation, of an aircraft's propeller) To move towards, or operate at, zero blade pitch, orienting the propeller blades face-on to the oncoming airstream and maximizing the drag generated by the propeller.