cd

CD

(sE' dE') n.

an optical disk, usually 12 cm in diameter but sometimes smaller, that stores digital data in a format introduced by Sony and Phillips for recorded music c. 1980.

CD-R

(sE dE a:r') n.

a CD on which data can be recorded one time.

CD-ROM

(sE dE rom') n.

a CD that contains computer files.

CD-RW

(sE dE a:r' dub' l yU') n.

a CD on which data can be recorded and erased multiple times. CD-RWs have lower contrast than other CDs, so they cannot be read reliably in all CD devices.