Skip to main content
screen

screen

262 5.2
The film and TV world of actors and directors
  • noun
  • /skriːn/
  • Literature
translation icon : pantalla
  • I once appeared on the screen with Hulk Hogan.

Of those six, I get screen credit on five.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • May I say that I've always thought yours to be one of the most beautiful faces ever to grace the silver screen.

  • Jimmy gave a young Elizabeth Taylor her first screen kiss in 1947's "Cynthia."

  • Guess after all those screen tests, she finally got a part.

  • Her face on the screen sells a million tickets, -and she knows it.

  • May I say that I've always thought yours to be one of the most beautiful faces ever to grace the silver screen.

  • Hector P. Valenti, star of stage and screen, at your service.

  • Among the passengers was celebrated screen actress Carole Lombard.

  • Alexander, what inspired you to bring your brand of je ne sais quoi to the silver screen?

  • Several actors have played the role on the big screen, each with their own unique take.

Synonyms

big screen
vsscreen
38 3.0

A cinema where films are shown to many people

centres specifically on the people who perform and make those films
film industry
vsscreen
19 2.4

People and companies that make, sell, and show movies

highlights the people who work in that sector rather than its structures
movie industry
vsscreen
  • US
14 2.5

A business that makes and shows films for people to watch

points instead to the individuals who carry out those activities
silver screen
vsscreen
10 3.8

The world of movies and the people who make them

narrows that view to the actual people who work within the cinema world
filmdom
vsscreen
1 7.6

People and companies that make movies

has identical meaning but differs only as an alternative stylistic form
screenland
vsscreen
  • Archaic
1 8.9

The world of movies and the people who make them

focuses on the same group but names them as a collective entity
moviedom
vsscreen
  • US
1 6.8

The world of movies and the people who make them

refers specifically to the group of people who work within that world
Hollywood
vsscreen
2.1

The American film industry, especially studios and stars in Los Angeles

is about the same group but without tying them to one country or place

Idioms

Having no real use

To try to do something that clearly cannot work

Something completely useless because it cannot work where it is used

Compounds

A flat display that shows pictures and text from a computer

38 3.0

A cinema where films are shown to many people

30 1.0

A door with a fine wire or plastic net that lets air in but keeps insects out

30 3.2

A large television screen used to watch films or videos

19 2.7

A screen you touch to control a phone or tablet

16 3.4

A filmed audition that shows if an actor suits a movie or TV role

13 3.0

Time spent using devices with screens like phones or TVs

home screen
  • Texting
11 3.0

The first screen you see on a phone or app that shows apps and shortcuts

10 3.8

The world of movies and the people who make them

5 5.1

An action or statement used to hide the real reason and distract people

4 3.6

A screen or picture that is much wider than it is tall, like modern TVs

4 2.9

A program that shows moving pictures on a computer screen when you are not using it

screen pass
  • Jargon
4 6.1

A short forward pass where teammates block to protect the receiver

3 2.7

A screen much wider than it is tall for movies and presentations

A large white surface on which a projector shows images or videos

1 2.3

A thin net that fits over a window to keep insects out while letting air in

A film version of a book or play made for the cinema

1 3.4

A person who appears in films or on television

1 3.5

A screen placed in front of an open fire to stop sparks from flying into the room

smoke screen
  • Specialized
1 5.5

A cloud of smoke made to hide soldiers or vehicles from view

screen background
  • Specialized
1 3.2

The part of a computer screen behind icons and windows

screen test
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A test of a monitor or TV that checks color and brightness

screen memory
  • Specialized
1 9.4

A childhood memory that hides a more painful real memory

CRT screen
  • Archaic
6.3

A heavy old TV or computer screen that uses a glass tube to show images

diffusing screen
  • Specialized
7.0

A thin panel that spreads light to make shadows softer

active matrix screen
  • Specialized
5.1

A screen that uses a small electronic part for each tiny dot to make images sharper and faster

5.6

A transparent screen that lights up when X-rays or cathode rays hit it

luminescent screen
  • Specialized
6.9

The inside surface of an old television that lights up to show images

rood screen
  • Archaic
9.9

A decorative barrier in a church that separates the main part from the choir and often holds a cross

screen font
  • Specialized
3.4

The style of letters shown on a computer or phone screen

silk screen print
  • Specialized
4.2

A picture created when someone pushes ink through a mesh screen onto paper or cloth

A white or shiny surface in a cinema for showing movies

Surface Forms

screen singular
screens plural

Etymology

Screen is used to mean the film world because people and stories appear on the movie or TV 'screen', and that idea grew into calling the whole industry 'the screen', as in the 'silver screen'. So the screen can stand for actors and filmmakers who appear on it.