Definition
A heavy-duty aircraft brake assembly that uses a stack of alternating rotating discs (rotors) and stationary discs (stators) inside a single brake unit. When hydraulic pressure is applied, the discs are squeezed together, and friction across many surfaces simultaneously slows the wheel. Multiple-disc brakes are used on larger and faster aircraft because the multiple friction surfaces absorb and dissipate far more energy than a single-disc brake.
Plain English
A brake that uses a stack of metal plates instead of just one. Some plates spin with the wheel, others stay still, and pressing them together creates the friction that stops the aircraft. More plates means more stopping power, which is why bigger aircraft use them.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft landing gear and wheel brake system descriptions, especially on aircraft that need strong braking in a compact wheel area.
Derivation
"Multiple-disc" simply means more than one disc. The design grew out of the single-disc brake: when one disc could not absorb enough energy to stop a heavier aircraft, engineers stacked several together inside one brake unit.
Why Pilots Care
They deliver high friction and heat absorption needed for safe stopping on heavy or high-speed aircraft.
Analogy
Think of squeezing a stack of dinner plates with your hands. More plate surfaces touching each other can create more rubbing force than just one plate surface.
Intuition Check
Multiple-disc brakes are not several separate brake systems. They are one brake assembly that contains several discs stacked together.
Example Sentence 1
The transport aircraft uses multiple-disc brakes on each main wheel to handle the heat generated during a high-speed landing.
Example Sentence 2
Multiple-disc brakes on the main gear provided the stopping force required after a short-field landing.