The Spanish word 'disco' comes from the Latin word 'discus', meaning 'disc or quoit'. This Latin term was itself borrowed from Ancient Greek 'δίσκος' (diskos), which referred specifically to a discus used in throwing competitions. Over time, the meaning broadened from the athletic implement to refer to any flat, circular object, and in Spanish it particularly came to mean a record or disc used for storing music or data.

Some related Spanish words include 'discoteca' (nightclub/disco), which literally means a place where records ('discos') are played, and 'disquete' (floppy disk), which is a diminutive form referring to a small disc used for data storage.

English speakers will recognize many cognates sharing this Greek-Latin origin, including 'disc/disk', 'discus' (the athletic equipment), and 'disco' (both the music genre and shortened form of discotheque). The word 'dish' is also related, having evolved from the same root to describe objects with a similar flat, round shape.