Source : WordNet®

compact disc recordable
     n : a compact disc on which you can write only once and
         thereafter is read-only memory [syn: {CD-R}, {CD-WO}, {compact
         disc write-once}]

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

Compact Disc Recordable
     
         (CD-R) A write-once version of {CD-ROM}.  CD-Rs can
        hold about 650 {megabytes} of data.  They are very durable and
        can be read by normal CD-ROM drives, but once data has been
        written it cannot be altered.
     
        Standard prerecorded CDs have their information permanently
        stamped into an aluminium reflecting layer.  CD-R discs have a
        dye-based recording layer and an additional golden reflecting
        layer.
     
        Digital information is written to the disc by burning
        (forming) pits in the recording layer in a pattern
        corresponding to that of a conventional CD.
     
        The laser beam heats the substrate and recording layer to
        approximately 250 C.  The recording layer melts and the
        substrate expands into the space that becomes available.
     
        {Phillips: New Technologies
        (http://www-us.sv.philips.com/newtech/cdrewritable.html)}.
     
        See also {CD-RW} and {DVD-RAM}.
     
        (1999-08-01)