discus

English

WOTD – 13 September 2008    

Wikipedia

Etymology

1656. From Latin discus, from Ancient Greek δίσκος (diskos, “disk, quoit, platter”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈdɪs.kəs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪskəs

Noun

discus (plural discuses)

1. A round plate-like object that is thrown for sport.
   • 2004, Frank Fitzpatrick, "The amazing story of the first discus medal winner", The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 18,

     He [Robert Garrett] won even though he hadn't ever touched a real discus until just before the event was held.

   • 2008, John Branch, "Estonia's Kanter Celebrates Gold Medal in the Discus His Way", The New York Times, August 23,

     [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, […]

2. (uncountable) The athletics sport of discus throwing.
   • 2008, "Weir lays down marker in Beijing", BBC, September 8,

     And Chris Martin took a silver medal in the discus on the opening day in the Bird's Nest, […]

3. (plural: discus) A discus fish.
   • 2008, Carol Roberts, "History of Discus", North American Discus Association,

     The main body of the Amazon River is too fast, too deep, and too silt laden for discus.

4. (rare, dated) A chakram.
   • 1893, Krishna-Swaipayana Vyasa, translated by K. M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Section XIX,

     And Narayana instantly cut off with his discus the well-adorned head of the Danava who was drinking the Amrita without permission.

   • 1899, Thomas William Rhys Davids (transl.), Digha Nikaya, "Sàmañña-Phàla Sutta",

     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, […]

Synonyms

• (round plate): quoit

Usage notes

• Although an alternative latinate plural disci is often cited, it is hardly ever used in practice.

Translations

round plate-like object for throwing

• Bulgarian: диск (bg) (disk) m
• Czech: disk (cs) m
• Dutch: discus (nl) m
• Finnish: kiekko (fi)
• French: disque (fr) m
• German: Diskus (de) m
• Hebrew: דיסקוס (he) (disqus) m

• Hungarian: diszkosz (hu)
• Latin: discus (la) m
• Russian: диск (ru) (disk) m
• Spanish: disco (es) m
• Turkish: disk (tr)

athletics sport of throwing the discus

• Bulgarian: мятане на диск (bg) (mjatane na disk) n
• Dutch: discuswerpen (nl) n
• Finnish: kiekonheitto (fi)
• French: disque (fr) m

• Hungarian: diszkosz (hu)
• Russian: метание диска (ru) (metánije díska) n
• Spanish: disco (es) m
• Turkish: disk atma (tr)

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Dutch

discus

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈdɪskʏs/

Noun

discus m (plural discussen, diminutive discusje)

1. discus

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Latin

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek δίσκος (diskos).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA: /ˈdis.kus/

Noun

discus (genitive discī); m, second declension

1. a discus, quoit
2. a dish shaped like a discus
3. disc of a sundial

Inflection

Number	Singular	Plural
nominative	discus	discī
genitive	discī	discōrum
dative	discō	discīs
accusative	discum	discōs
ablative	discō	discīs
vocative	disce	discī

Descendants

• Catalan: disc
• English: dais, disc, discus, disk, dish (through Old English, Germanic)
• French: disque, dais
• Italian: desco, disco
• Jèrriais: disque

• Old French: deis, dois
• Portuguese: disco
• Romanian: disc
• Spanish: disco, desca, desga