Word.ws English Dictionary

cd

/ˌsiːˈdiː/

cd is the abbreviation of could.

Meaning of could

Verb

could

  1. Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact).
    • "If I'd had a paddle I could've spun by that dashed root," Meekins said, feeling some apology due for the mishap. "When I first climbed out of that fool creek I thought my arm had got twisted off, but I guess it ain't."1921, William Alexander Fraser, Red Meekins, George H. Doran Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 32
  2. Used to politely ask for permission to do something.
    • Could I borrow your coat?
  3. Used to politely ask for someone else to do something.
    • Could you proofread this email?
  4. Used to show the possibility that something might happen.
    • Even without hovering drones, a lurking assassin, a thumping score and a denouement, the real-life story of Edward Snowden, a rogue spy on the run, could be straight out of the cinema. But, as with Hollywood, the subplots and exotic locations may distract from the real message: America’s discomfort...2013 June 29, “Travels and travails”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8842, page 55
  5. Used to suggest something.
    • You could try adding more salt to the soup.

See all 6 meanings of could

Noun (1) capitalized: CD

CD (countable and uncountable, plural CDs)

  1. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of compact disc.
    • I misplaced the software installation CD.
    • Called Compact Discs (CD for short) and expected to enter the market by 1983, they play an hour per side and are virtually indestructible.1980 April 13, Allan Kozinn, “The Future is Digital”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
    1. (dated, metonymically) An album; a collection of musical recordings (or, occasionally, other audio such as spoken word).
      • Mariah Carey's new CD has some R'n'B influences.
  2. (abbreviation, archaic, initialism) Initialism of corps diplomatique, the diplomatic corps of a particular country.
    • Along the route to Tanyin flowed a fast stream of staff and C.D. cars.1955, Graham Greene, The Quiet American
    • Jake lengthened his stride and crossed the road in front of a double-parked car, large, black and with CD plates.1978, Kingsley Amis, Jake's Thing, Vintage, published 2007, page 8
  3. (abbreviation) Abbreviation of certificate of deposit.
    • Banks may offer premium rates on C.D.s to attract deposits, but once they get those deposits, they end the offers.2023 April 21, Ann Carrns, “Rates on C.D.s Are Soaring, but the High Rates May Not Last”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  4. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of creative director, head of the creative department (for example of an advertising agency).
  5. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of corporate design, specific design features of a company, corporate identity CI.
  6. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of collision detection.
  7. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of chart datum.
  8. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of cross-dresser.
  9. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of cross-dressing.
  10. (abbreviation, initialism, physical, quantum mechanics) Initialism of circular dichroism.
  11. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of cluster of differentiation.
  12. (abbreviation) Abbreviation of cooldown.
Show 3 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. (UK, abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of controlled drug.
  2. (abbreviation) Abbreviation of Crohn's disease.
  3. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of continuous delivery/deployment.

Verb capitalized: CD

CD (third-person singular simple present CDs, present participle CDing, simple past and past participle CDed)

  1. (abbreviation, initialism) Initialism of cross-dress.
    • By now I did not feel right without a bra and panties whenever I CD'ed.1993 January 5, Tierney Dhewitrei, “about me, is it familiar?”, in alt.transgendered (Usenet)

Noun (2) capitalized: cD

cD (plural cDs)

  1. a type of giant elliptical galaxy

Forms of cd

Noun
pluralCDs
pluralcDs
Verb
third-person singular presentCDs
present participleCDing
past participleCDed
pastCDed

Origin of cd

Abbreviation of various terms and phrases.

Words formed from cd

Phrases with cd

6 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with cd

48 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about cd

What does cd mean?
Cd means an album; a collection of musical recordings (or, occasionally, other audio such as spoken word).
What is cd the abbreviation of?
Cd is the abbreviation of could.
What part of speech is cd?
Cd can be a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce cd?
Cd is pronounced /ˌsiːˈdiː/.
What is the plural of cd?
The plural of cd is CDs.

Words near cd in the dictionary

  1. CCVs
  2. CCW
  3. CCWF
  4. CCWs
  5. ccy
  6. cd
  7. CD burner
  8. CD burners
  9. CD changer
  10. CD changers
  11. CD drive

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: cd (page history and authors); CD (page history and authors); cD (page history and authors); could (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-CD.wav.

Cite this entry: “cd.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/cd. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.