écran

Écran is a French noun meaning a surface or device that reveals, displays, or conceals information. The most common sense is a screen used to view images and data, as on computers, televisions, tablets, and smartphones. It also denotes a projection surface in cinema and theater, with phrases like grand écran referring to the cinema screen. In a broader sense, écran can describe a barrier or shield that separates spaces or protects from exposure, such as a protective screen in machinery or architecture.

In technology and daily life, the word appears in many compound terms: écran tactile for touchscreen devices; écran d'accueil for the home screen; écran de veille for a screen saver; and écran LCD, écran OLED, or écran incurvé for various display technologies. In media and communication, expressions such as écran de fumée (smoke screen) indicate something used to obscure or mislead. The term also occurs in cosmetics and fashion in the sense of sunscreen, as in écran solaire.

Beyond devices, écran reflects the core idea of a surface that presents or blocks sight, a concept that crosscuts engineering, design, and language. Écran is a masculine noun; its plural form is écrans.