compact disc write-once

6.5

A CD you can record on once and then only read

noun
/ˈkɒmpækt dɪsk raɪt wʌns/

Specialized

: CD-WO

Be sure to verify your data before using a compact disc write-once, since you can't erase or rewrite it.

Examples

After burning the files onto a compact disc write-once, he could not make any changes to it.
I burned my music onto a compact disc write-once.
The album was released on compact disc write-once to prevent unauthorized editing.
He used a compact disk write-once for his presentation.
Before sharing the files, she saved them onto a compact disc write-once to ensure they could not be altered later.
It's important to double-check your recordings on a compact disc write-once, as any mistakes cannot be corrected.
The conference handouts were distributed on compact disc write-once to maintain the integrity of the content.

Synonyms

CD-R

vscompact disc write-once

1 4.1

A disc you can write to only once that holds music or files

is the same idea but written as a longer descriptive phrase in full

compact disc recordable

vscompact disc write-once

Specialized

1 4.2

A disc you can write on once and then only read

is the same idea but appears in a shorter technical label instead

CD-WO

vscompact disc write-once

Archaic

6.7

A compact disc that you can write on only once and then only read

has identical meaning but appears as the full descriptive phrase in writing

Antonyms

rewritable

Specialized

1 4.1

Able to be erased and written on again like a CD or memory card

How Writable

compact disc write-once

Specialized

6.5

compact disc read-only memory

Specialized

1 3.9

Surface Forms

compact disc write-once singular

compact discs write-once plural

Morphology

compact + disk + write-once

The meaning is fully compositional: 'compact disc' identifies the storage medium and 'write-once' transparently signals that it can be written a single time, so the overall sense (a disc that can be recorded once and thereafter is read-only) follows from the parts. Although technical and more commonly phrased as 'write-once compact disc' or 'CD-R', the component meanings are predictable for a B1 learner who knows 'compact', 'disk/disc', 'write' and 'once'.

Etymology

Compact disc write-once comes from the parts compact disc and write-once: you 'write' data onto the disc one time, like making permanent marks on a page. After that the disc is 'read-only', so you can only read the files and cannot erase or change them, which is why the name means a disc that can be recorded just once.