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Glite Dictionary
display window

display window

2 3.0
A large front shop window that shows goods to attract customers
  • noun
  • /dɪˈspleɪ ˈwɪndoʊ/
translation icon : vitrina
  • Their glass display windows are covered with layers of impenetrable dirt.
  • front of the display window
  • display window facing the street
  • large display window

Are those things in the display windows real merchandise?

Examples

  • What evidence does the display window give about fashion, fads, or trends?

    Academic text (1999)

  • Glittering display windows, subdued interiors, mannequins posed for contemplation like iconic statues at which shoppers stare.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • Are those things in the display windows real merchandise?

    Harvard University

  • I remember, I almost crashed into a nearby fashion display window.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Aunt Dorothy was standing in front of the display windows.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Night falls, and a great black automobile parks in front of the display window.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The only light in the shop came from the small display window that peered up into the street.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • In the milliner's display window, opaque paper domes still protected her confections from the morning sun.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • From there, she wanders along the sidewalk, pausing briefly to gaze at the display window of an expensive department store.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The elegant dress was beautifully arranged in the display window to attract shoppers.

Synonyms

shop window
vsdisplay window
  • UK
6 2.0

A front window of a shop that shows goods to people passing by

is larger and mainly used to attract customers rather than only offer goods
show window
vsdisplay window
1 3.1

A window at the front of a shop that shows goods to attract people

is larger front glass aimed at drawing shoppers rather than general presentation
shopwindow
vsdisplay window
  • UK
1.4

A window at the front of a shop that shows goods for sale

is larger and aimed at drawing shoppers rather than being single-word form

Antonyms

back room
72 3.4

A room at the back of a shop or office used for private meetings with a few people

How Accessible

bookroom
2.7
display window
2 3.0
bookroom
4.4

Surface Forms

display window singular
display windows plural

Morphology

display + window

The meaning of 'display window' is directly and transparently derived from 'display' (an arranged exhibit) + 'window' (an opening with glass): it literally denotes a window used for displaying goods. This noun+noun composition is common cross-linguistically and follows ordinary English compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Display window comes from shopkeepers placing goods behind a glass window at the front so people walking by can see them. That's why the window is there to display goods, and the phrase means 'a large window at the front of a shop, used for showing goods to attract customers'.