I. ˈskrēn 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, kṛnāti 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
II. verb
Date: 15th century
transitive verb
1. : to guard from injury or danger
2.
a. : to give shelter or protection to with or as if with a screen
b. : to separate with or as if with a screen ; also : to shield (an opponent) from a play or from view of a play
3.
a. : to pass (as coal, gravel, or ashes) through a screen to separate the fine part from the coarse ; also : to remove by a screen
b.
(1) : to examine usually methodically in order to make a separation into different groups
(2) : to select or eliminate by a screening process
(3) : to test or examine for the presence of something (as a disease)
patients were screen ed for hepatitis
4. : to provide with a screen to keep out pests (as insects)
5.
a.
(1) : to present (as a motion picture) for viewing on a screen
(2) : to view the presentation of (as a motion picture)
b. : to present in a motion picture
intransitive verb
1. : to appear on a motion-picture screen
2. : to provide a screen in a game or sport
Synonyms: see hide
• screen·able ˈskrē-nə-bəl adjective
• screen·er noun