I. screen 1 S2 W2 /skriːn/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: escren , from Middle Dutch scherm ]
1 . TELEVISION/COMPUTER [countable] the part of a television or computer where the picture or information appears ⇨ monitor :
a computer with an 18-inch colour screen
He went on staring at the TV screen.
on (a) screen
Her picture appeared on the screen.
It’s easy to change the text on screen before printing it.
2 . FILM
a) [countable] the large white surface that pictures are shown on in a cinema:
He was horrified at some of the images he saw on the screen.
b) [singular, uncountable] films in general:
This is the first time the play has been adapted for the big screen (=films) .
a star of stage and screen (=the theatre and films)
on screen
his first appearance on screen
a well-known screen actor
3 . MOVABLE WALL [countable] a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another:
There was a screen around his bed.
4 . SOMETHING THAT HIDES
a) [countable] something tall and wide that hides a place or thing
screen of
The house was hidden behind a screen of bushes.
b) [singular] something that hides what someone is doing
screen for
The business was just a screen for his drug-dealing activities.
5 . TEST FOR ILLNESS [countable] British English a medical test to see whether someone has an illness SYN screening American English :
The company is offering a free health screen to all employees.
6 . DOOR/WINDOW [countable] a wire net fastened inside a frame in front of a window or door to keep insects out
7 . CHURCH [countable] a decorative wall in some churches
8 . SPORTS [countable] a player in a game such as ↑ basketball who protects the player who has the ball
⇨ ↑ smokescreen , ↑ sunscreen
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wall an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area:
The estate is surrounded by high stone walls.
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a brick wall
▪ fence a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land:
The garden was surrounded by an old wooden fence.
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the chain link fence around the school
▪ railings a metal fence that is made of a series of upright bars:
the iron railings in front of the house
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The boy was leaning over the railing on the side of the boat.
▪ barrier a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction:
A guard stood near the barrier.
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The police had put up barriers to keep the crowd under control.
▪ screen a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another:
the screen around his hospital bed
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a Japanese bamboo screen
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a fire screen (=that you put near a fire)
▪ partition a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another:
The room was divided into two by a thin partition.
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The offices are separated by partitions and you can hear everything that is said in the next office.
▪ barricade a line of objects that people have put across a road, to prevent people getting past, especially as part of a protest:
The soldiers used tanks to smash through the barricades.
II. screen 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . TEST FOR ILLNESS to do tests on a lot of people to find out whether they have a particular illness:
All women over 50 will be regularly screened.
screen somebody for something
It is now possible to screen babies for diabetes.
2 . HIDE SOMETHING if something screens something else, it is in front of it and hides it
screen something from something
A line of trees screened the house from the road.
3 . FILM/TELEVISION to show a film or television programme:
The film is being screened around the country.
The match will be screened live on television.
4 . TEST EMPLOYEES ETC to find out information about people in order to decide whether you can trust them:
Police are very careful when screening politicians’ bodyguards.
Applicants are screened for security.
5 . CHECK THINGS to check things to see whether they are acceptable or suitable:
You can use an answerphone to screen your phone calls before you answer them.
screen something ↔ off phrasal verb
to separate one part of a room from the rest by putting a thin temporary wall or a curtain across it:
The back part of the room had been screened off.
screen something ↔ out phrasal verb
1 . to prevent something harmful from passing through SYN filter out :
Sun lotions screen out damaging ultraviolet light.
2 . to remove people or things that are not acceptable or not suitable SYN filter out :
An answering service can screen out nuisance calls.