screensaver

British

/ ˈskriːnseɪvər /

noun

a computer program that reduces screen damage resulting from an unchanging display when a computer is switched on but not in use by blanking the screen or generating moving patterns, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Besides looking like an early 2000's computer screensaver, this image is important because each streak represents an individual light spectrum of a galaxy or star.

From Scientific American • Aug. 3, 2023

And for now, at least, it may be time to invest in a better screensaver.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2023

“I saved her as my screensaver so that any time I see her face, it will remind me to be praying for her to return” along with the others, 25-year-old Yama said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022

The Guardian called it "soggy" and "twee," describing it as a very expensive "screensaver."

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2022

It was only the fish-tank screensaver I’d left on the computer, but I turned it off before taking a long, hot shower.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023