n.
Pronunciation: ' skr ē n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English screne, from Anglo-French escren, from Middle Dutch scherm; akin to Old High German skirm shield; probably akin to Sanskrit carman skin, k ṛ n ā ti he injures ― more at SHEAR
Date: 14th century
1 : a protective or ornamental device (as a movable partition) shielding an area from heat or drafts or from view
2 : something that shelters, protects, or hides: as a : a growth or stand of trees, shrubs, or plants b : a protective formation of troops, ships, or planes c : something that covers or disguises the true nature (as of an activity or feeling) <his geniality is just a screen > d (1) : a maneuver in various sports (as basketball or ice hockey) whereby an opponent is legally impeded or the opponent's view of the play is momentarily blocked (2) : SCREEN PASS
3 a : a perforated plate or cylinder or a meshed wire or cloth fabric usually mounted and used to separate coarser from finer parts b : a system for examining and separating into different groups c : a piece of apparatus designed to prevent agencies in one part from affecting other parts <an optical screen > <an electric screen > d : a frame holding a usually metallic netting used especially in a window or door to exclude pests (as insects)
4 a : a flat surface on which a picture or series of pictures is projected or reflected b : the surface on which the image appears in an electronic display (as in a television set, radar receiver, or computer terminal) also : the information displayed on a computer screen at one time
5 : a glass plate ruled with crossing opaque lines through which an image is photographed in making a halftone
6 : the motion-picture medium or industry