What does videodisc mean?
A videodisc is a disc-shaped medium used to record and play moving images, usually together with sound. The most familiar examples were optical formats developed before digital video files and streaming became dominant, including large discs intended for home playback and smaller discs used in computer systems and early recording equipment. The word is also used more broadly for any disc whose primary recorded content is video. In modern conversation, “videodisc” may evoke the period when films, documentaries, and educational programs were distributed physically, although specialists still use it when discussing recording media and preservation. “Video disc,” written as two words, is an equally accepted spelling. Because the term identifies the medium as well as its content, it is especially useful when distinguishing video recordings from audio discs, blank storage media, and later forms of digital video distribution.
nounA disc on which video recordings are stored for playback, especially an optical disc carrying moving images and sound.
- A disc-shaped medium carrying recorded video for playback.
"The documentary was preserved on a videodisc before it was transferred to a digital archive."
"The museum uses a videodisc player to demonstrate its collection of historical recordings."
"Her collection includes video cassettes, several videodiscs, and a portable DVD player."
The regular plural adds “-s”; the alternative spelling “video discs” is also standard.
"Several rare videodiscs were auctioned online."
Long before streaming, audiences watched movies carried on giant optical discs.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of videodisc
“Videodisc” is a compound formed from “video” and “disc.” “Video” comes through French from Latin videō, meaning “I see,” while “disc” derives from Latin discus, a reference to a flat circular object. The compound belongs to the modern history of mechanical and optical recording, developing as video became a distinct form of recorded media.
Related word forms
How videodisc is actually used
This is a technical term that now often sounds dated because digital files and streaming have largely replaced physical video media. The closed spelling “videodisc” and the two-word spelling “video disc” are both established.
Easily confused with videodisc
A disk is a general term for a storage medium, whereas a videodisc specifically stores video content.