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

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

From Salon • Dec. 29, 2022

Fans of Pelosi, a California Democrat, have taped the image to their refrigerator, downloaded it as a screensaver or emblazoned it on coffee mugs.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 18, 2022

I look down at my phone, the bejeweled rubber case, the scratches on the glass surface, the screensaver of David and me—a selfie of us on a hike not far from here.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

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