- 1 [countable] the flat surface at the front of a television, computer, or other electronic device, on which you see pictures or information a computer screen a monitor with a 21 inch screen They were staring at the television screen. Move your cursor to the top of the screen. the screen display Can you do a printout of this screen for me (= of all the information on it)? see also home screen Wordfindercomputercomputer, display, drive, keyboard, memory, platform, program, reboot, router, screen see also on-screen Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebig, giant, huge, … verb + screenfill, be glued to, gaze at, … screen + verbshow, flash, flicker, … screen + nounsaver, image, resolution, … prepositionon (the) screen phrasesgo black, go blank See full entry See related entries: Computer hardware, Watching TV
- 2[countable] the data or images shown on a computer screen Press the F1 key to display a help screen. films/movies/TV
- 3 [countable] the large flat surface that films/movies or pictures are shown on a cinema/movie screen an eight-screen cinema The movie will be coming to your screens shortly. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecinema, movie, big, … verb + screenappear on, grace, bring something to, … screen + nounadaptation, version, actor, … prepositionoff screen, on (the) screen phrasesstage and screen See full entry See related entries: Showing films
- 4 (also the screen) [singular, uncountable] films/movies or television in general He has adapted the play for the screen. Some actors never watch themselves on screen. She was a star of stage and screen (= plays and films/movies). a screen actor see also off-screen, silver screen, small screen Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivecinema, movie, big, … verb + screenappear on, grace, bring something to, … screen + nounadaptation, version, actor, … prepositionoff screen, on (the) screen phrasesstage and screen See full entry piece of furniture
- 5 [countable] a vertical piece of furniture or equipment that is fixed or that can be moved to divide a room or to keep one area hidden or separate The nurse put a screen around the bed. A wooden screen hid one corner of the room. see also fire screen Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivefolding, privacy, security, … verb + screenput up screen + noundoor, window prepositionbehind a/the screen, screen between See full entry for hiding/protecting something/somebody
- 6[countable] screen (of something) something that prevents somebody from seeing or being aware of something, or that protects somebody/something We planted a screen of tall trees. A screen of bodyguards protected the President. (figurative) All the research was conducted behind a screen of secrecy. see also smokescreen, sunscreen, windscreen on window/door
- 7[countable] (especially North American English) a wire or plastic net that is held in a frame and fastened on a window, or a door, to let in air but keep out insects Do you have screens on your windows? screen doors in church
- 8[countable] a wood or stone structure in a church, that partly separates the main area from the altar or choir See related entries: Architectural features Word OriginMiddle English: shortening of Old Northern French escren, of Germanic origin.Extra examples De Niro is only given a few minutes of screen time. Henry James’s novel was brought to the screen by director James Ivory. His desk was discreetly placed behind a screen. I sat gazing at the blank screen, trying to think of something to write. Information can be viewed on screen or printed out. Marilyn Monroe’s first screen appearance Neil Simon’s screen adaptation of his hit stage play She appears regularly on the small screen. She is remembered mainly for her performances on screen. She shares the screen with Nicole Kidman. The film features screen legends James Stewart and Grace Kelly. The image came up on the screen for a few seconds. The room was divided by a folding screen. The screen flickered, and then everything went dark. The screen suddenly went black. The star’s face filled the screen. There is a screen between the two beds. They play deadly rivals in the show but they are good friends off screen. a flat-screen TV big screen entertainment stars of stage and screen the greatest comic actor ever to grace a movie screen He put the fire screen in front of the dying embers of the fire and left the room. screen windows/doorsIdioms
noun jump to other results
BrE BrE//skriːn//; NAmE NAmE//skriːn//
Computer hardware, Showing films, Architectural features, Watching TV
used to say that people’s attention is on or not on something The issue of terrorism is back on the radar screen. Since the scandal broke, all other issues seem to have disappeared off the radar screen as far as the media is concerned.
Check pronunciation: screen
