Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of compact disc (CD) designed for use with a computer system, not an audio player. It can store a very large quantity of digital data, such as software, text, images, or multimedia content, which a user can read and access but cannot modify or erase.

Usage

• Noun:
  • The software was distributed on a CD-ROM.
  • This encyclopedia is available on CD-ROM.
  • You need to insert the CD-ROM into your computer's drive to install the program.

Advanced Usage

• "CD-ROM drive": The hardware component in a computer used to read data from a CD-ROM.
  • My old laptop still has a CD-ROM drive.
• As a storage medium for archival or distribution purposes, contrasting with writable discs (CD-R) or rewritable discs (CD-RW).
  • The data is permanently pressed onto a CD-ROM.

Variants and Related Words

• CD (Compact Disc): The broader category of optical discs for audio or data.
• CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable): A compact disc on which a user can write data once.
• CD-RW (Compact Disc-Rewritable): A compact disc on which a user can write, erase, and rewrite data multiple times.
• DVD-ROM: A higher-capacity optical disc with similar read-only functionality.

Synonyms

• Optical disc (general category)
• Read-only memory (describing the functional characteristic)

Related Phrases

• Burn a CD: To write data onto a recordable CD (CD-R or CD-RW), an action not possible with a standard CD-ROM.
  • I need to burn these files onto a CD.
• Mount a CD-ROM: To make the data on a CD-ROM accessible to a computer's operating system.
  • The system will automatically mount the CD-ROM when you insert it.

Noun

1. a compact disk that is used with a computer (rather than with an audio system); a large amount of digital information can be stored and accessed but it cannot be altered by the user