Meanings
plural disc jockeys · alternative discjockey · alternative disk jockey · alternative diskjockey · alternative DJ
- datedbroadcastingA 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
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 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.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna person who announces and plays popular recorded music
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans platejoggie, diskjockey
- platejoggieperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- diskjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Arabic فارس الإسطوانات, دسْك جوكي
- فارس الإسطواناتperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- دسْك جوكيperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- دِي جِي (dī jey)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- دي جيه (dī jih)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Catalan discjòquei, DJ
- discjòqueiperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Chinese Mandarin 唱片騎師 /唱片骑师, DJ
- 唱片騎師 /唱片骑师 (chàngpiàn qíshī)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Czech diskžokej, dýdžej
- diskžokejperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- dýdžejperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Danish discjockey
- discjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Dutch diskjockey, discjockey
- diskjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- discjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- livedjperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- djperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Esperanto diskludisto, diskĵokeo
- diskludistoperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- diskĵokeoperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DĴperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Estonian DJ, diskor
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- diskorperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Finnish DJ, deejii
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- deejiiperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- disc jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- tiskijukkaperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- levyjuontajaperson who conducts a radio program with recorded music
- juontajaperson who conducts a radio program with recorded music
French disc jockey, disc-jockey
- disc jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- disc-jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJetteperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- platinisteperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
German Discjockey, Diskjockey
- Discjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- Diskjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- Disc-Jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Greek ντισκ τζόκεϊ, ντιτζέι
- ντισκ τζόκεϊ (ntisk tzókeï)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- ντιτζέι (ntitzéi)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Hebrew תַּקְלִיטָן, דִּי גֵ׳יי
- תַּקְלִיטָן (taqlitán)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- דִּי גֵ׳יי (di jey)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Hungarian lemezlovas
- lemezlovasperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Icelandic skífuþeytari, plötusnúður
- skífuþeytariperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- plötusnúðurperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Italian disc jockey, discoliere
- disc jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- discoliereperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- graffiadischiperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- pungidischiperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Japanese ディスクジョッキー, DJ (dījei)
- ディスクジョッキー (disukujokkī)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJ (dījei)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- ディージェイ (dījei)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Korean 디스크 자키, 디제이
- 디스크 자키 (diseukeu jaki)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- 디제이 (dijei)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Latin discimpositor, discimpositrix
- discimpositorperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- discimpositrixperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Lithuanian didžė̃jus, didžė̃jė
- didžė̃jusperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- didžė̃jėperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Māori kaituku waiata
- kaituku waiataperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Polish DJ, didżej
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- didżejperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- didżejkaperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who conducts a radio program with recorded music
- didżejperson who conducts a radio program with recorded music
- didżejkaperson who conducts a radio program with recorded music
Portuguese disc jockey, disco-jóquei
- disc jockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- disco-jóqueiperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Russian диск-жоке́й, дидже́й
- диск-жоке́й (disk-žokéj)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- дидже́й (didžéj)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Spanish pinchadiscos, disyóquey
- pinchadiscosperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- disyóqueyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Swahili mcheza santuri
- mcheza santuriperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Swedish discjockey, diskjockey
- discjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- diskjockeyperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- DJperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Thai นักจัดรายการ, ดีเจ
- นักจัดรายการ (nák-jàt-raai-gaan)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- ดีเจ (dii-jee)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Ukrainian диск-жоке́й, дидже́й
- диск-жоке́й (dysk-žokéj)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
- дидже́й (dydžéj)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Welsh troellwr
- troellwrperson who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Yiddish דיסקזשאָקיי
- דיסקזשאָקיי (diskzhokey)person who plays recorded music in nightclubs etc.
Cite this entry
disc jockey. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disc%20jockey
“disc jockey.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disc%20jockey. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “disc jockey,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/disc%20jockey.
Source: disc jockey on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.