Dictionary

disc jockey en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌdɪsk ˈdʒɑki/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˌdɪsk ˈdʒɒki/ (UK)

Etymology

Disc refers to the flat, circular shape of the traditional medium for recorded music. Jockey refers to a diminutive of jock, the Northern English or Scots colloquial equivalent of the first name John, which is also used generically for “boy, or fellow” (compare Jack, Dick), at least since 1529. So, disc jockey / DJ etymologically refers to a young person playing (discs holding) music. Coined by journalist Walter Winchell in 1935 to describe Martin Block. Appeared in print in Variety in 1941. Previously also called record man.

Meanings

1. A person who plays, and sometimes mixes, recorded music at nightclubs, dances, parties, or some other social event; or as a backup musician for spoken word, or hip hop performers.
   • The disc jockey played brilliant music at the party.
2. (dated) A person who conducts a radio program of recorded music combined with talk, news, commercials, weather, etc.
   • The show he produced first aired on WJMR, a white-owned New Orleans radio station. The show's disc jockey used the name “Poppa Stoppa” and played what would then be called “race music,” the term given to any music produced by African American artists. 2014, Dominic Massa, New Orleans Radio, Arcadia Publishing, →ISBN, page 107:

Forms

Deriveds

desk jockey

Synonyms

deejay · DJ · discaire · selector · jock

Translations (90)

sw mcheza santuri (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · th นักจัดรายการ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · el ντισκ τζόκεϊ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · hy դիջեյ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · sv discjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · it graffiadischi (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ar دِي جِي (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · et diskor (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · th ดีเจ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · he דִּי גֵ׳יי (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ca DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ar دسْك جوكي (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fy diskjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · la discimpositrix (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ja ディスクジョッキー (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · cs dýdžej (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · es disyóquey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · uk диск-жоке́й (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · io disk-jokeo (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · is skífuþeytari (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · nl livedj (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pl didżej (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ka დიჯეი (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fi levyjuontaja (person who conducts a radio program with recorded music) · eo diskĵokeo (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · mi kaituku waiata (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · it discoliere (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · es pinchadiscos (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ar دي جيه (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ka დისკ-ჟოკეი (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · uk дидже́й (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · he תַּקְלִיטָן (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ca discjòquei (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pl didżejka (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · lt didžė̃jė (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · da discjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · nl dj (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fr DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ru дидже́й (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fr disc jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pl DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · eo DĴ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · cmn 唱片騎師 /唱片骑师 (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · la discimpositor (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ar فارس الإسطوانات (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fy DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fr DJette (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fi deejii (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · cs diskžokej (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ja ディージェイ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · af platejoggie (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pt disco-jóquei (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fi DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fr disc-jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fr platiniste (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · et DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · yi דיסקזשאָקיי (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · de Diskjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · oc DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ht deje (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · oc discjòquei (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · nl discjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fi disc jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · nl DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ru диск-жоке́й (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · sv diskjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · af diskjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · fi juontaja (person who conducts a radio program with recorded music) · fi tiskijukka (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ht dije (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · el ντιτζέι (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · eo diskludisto (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pl DJ (person who conducts a radio program with recorded music) · pl didżejka (person who conducts a radio program with recorded music) · ko 디스크 자키 (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ja DJ (dījei) (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pt disc jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · it disc jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · sv DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · cy troellwr (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · pl didżej (person who conducts a radio program with recorded music) · de Disc-Jockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · ko 디제이 (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · de Discjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · is plötusnúður (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · cmn DJ (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · it pungidischi (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · hu lemezlovas (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · nl diskjockey (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.) · lt didžė̃jus (person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.)

wikipedia: Variety (magazine) · wikipedia: Martin Block