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to screen

to screen

29 3.9
Hide someone or something to protect them from view and harm
  • verb
  • /skriːn/
translation icon : proteger de
  • To protect the vulnerable plants, we need to screen them from harsh winds and direct sunlight.

So the outer electrons see a screened core charge, right?

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Examples

  • In the summer, we decided to screen the patio to keep out insects while we enjoyed our meals outdoors.

  • Well, we should get a proper cordon off, screen the remains from public view.

  • We'll screen off her bed in the ward.

  • Screen those patients for me.

  • Start screening every female employee under the age of 30.

  • Its long branches swept the earth, screening her and her friends from view.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • In summer, the place had been screened by hedges and foliage, only its third floor showing.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The trees just beyond it screen off the Bibleland Amusement Park in the daytime, but at night, they do make a hell of a racket.

  • He screened your calls.

  • The guard was hired to screen visitors for security before they entered the building.

Synonyms

to shield
vsto screen
146 2.7

To protect someone or something from harm

is broader and also includes hiding from view
to shield from
vsto screen
56 3.3

To protect people or things from harm

also includes hiding from view as well as protection and blocking
to block out
vsto screen
14 3.0

To stop light, sound, or air from coming in

focuses on protecting or hiding rather than only blocking physical inputs
to curtain
vsto screen
9 5.8

To hang cloth to cover or hide something

is more general and includes protection from danger and other uses
to bescreen
vsto screen
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To hide something behind a screen or curtain

is the common form that also means hiding and general protection

Antonyms

2.3

Show something that was hidden or secret

146 2.8

Make something visible by removing a cover or letting light reach it

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

Phrasal Verbs

To check and remove people or things that are not wanted

Touch the screen lightly with your finger to choose or open something

Make part of a room private using a curtain or divider

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

How Protected

to fortify
39 6.2
to shield
146 2.7
to screen
29 3.9
to hide
1.0

Surface Forms

screen infinitive
screened past
screened past participle
screening present participle
screens third person singular

Etymology

The verb screen meaning to block or protect keeps the old idea of a 'shield' or 'cover' that stands between someone and danger or view. That's why to screen a person or place is to hide or protect it from sight or harm.