windshield

American  

[wind-sheeld, win-] / ˈwɪndˌʃild, ˈwɪn- /

noun

• windshields
  plural

1. a shield of glass, in one or more sections, projecting above and across the dashboard of an automobile.

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windshield British  

/ ˈwɪndˌʃiːld /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): windscreen.  the sheet of flat or curved glass that forms a window of a motor vehicle, esp the front window

2. an object designed to shield something from the wind

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• windshields
  plural

Etymology

Origin of windshield

First recorded in 1900–05; wind ¹ + shield

Explanation

The thick, protective glass at the front of a car is its windshield. If it's hard to see clearly when you're driving, you may need new glasses — or it might just be time to clean the windshield. The word windshield is the North American version of what Brits call the windscreen. Whether you're traveling in a bus, airplane, or taxi, there's a windshield protecting you and the driver (or pilot) from flying debris. Modern windshields are made of extremely strong, shatter-proof glass. When rain falls, pouring against the windshield, be sure to turn on the windshield wipers!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

windshield windshields

The back windshield and trunk are also crushed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

It’s a chip that turned into about an eight-inch crack across the windshield, so it’s pretty obvious.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026

Before letting us start, the track marshals made us take down the GoPro camera attached to the windshield, which would otherwise have been pointed at my horrified face.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

This unique camera-based system replaces a traditional forward-facing windshield by providing the pilot with a live display view ahead of the aircraft.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026

A large branch hit the windshield and cracked it.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

With the race cars stripped of fenders and windshields, their drivers were inundated and miserable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Better mirrors, better brakes and shatterproof windshields became standard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026

As C scans windshields, front seats, and license plates, they tell me about a recent incident near their home.

From Slate ● Jan. 16, 2026

And I had a backyard that smelled like freshly cleaned windshields.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2024

Six days a week, Baba pulled twelve-hour shifts pumping gas, running the register, changing oil, and wash­ing windshields.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini