windshield

American

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

noun

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

windshield British

/ ˈwɪndˌʃiːld /

noun

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
an object designed to shield something from the wind

"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

Etymology

Origin of windshield

First recorded in 1900–05; wind ¹ + shield

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.

Ford announced almost 2.4 million vehicle recalls in six actions, primarily for backup cameras and windshield wipers.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

The latest batch of recalls was mainly related to issues with backup cameras and windshield wipers.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

It might have acquired a crack in that mighty windshield by then, a rumpled bumper, a dent in the door, mismatched mudders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

She said the last time she drove in the rain, she was in the fast lane when a car on the opposite side of the freeway splashed water on her windshield, temporarily blocking her view.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2025

Oh, how I wish that someone had pasted glow-in-the-dark stars on our windshield!

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

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