screen
UK[skriːn]US[skriːn]
n
A flat surface on a television, computer, or other electronic device that shows images or information.
n
A flat vertical surface on which pictures or images are projected.
n
A thing used to hide, protect, or divide something.
v
To show or broadcast something on a screen.
v
To test or examine someone or something to decide if they are suitable or to find out if they have a particular disease.
v
To hide, protect, or shelter someone or something.
Etymology
The word 'screen' has a journey from a physical barrier to a digital display. Its ultimate origin is the Proto-Germanic root skrank-, meaning a framework or barrier, which evolved into the Old High German 'skrank'. This term passed into Old North French as 'escren', referring to a fireguard or protective panel. Entering Middle English, it initially denoted a physical partition for protection or privacy. The modern technological senses, such as a television or computer screen, are metaphorical extensions of this core idea of a flat, intervening surface, first applied to the white surface used for projecting images before being adopted for electronic displays.
Analysis
The word is a simplex. It entered English from Middle French 'escren', meaning a protective panel or shield. The French term derived from Old High German 'skrank', meaning a barrier or framework, which is of Germanic origin.
Examples
She spends too much time staring at a computer screen.
A screen of trees hid the house from the road.
All candidates are carefully screened before being offered a job.