What does windshield mean?
A windshield is the front window of a car or another vehicle, especially a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle. It is normally made from laminated glass or transparent plastic and protects the vehicle’s occupants from wind, rain, insects, stones, and other debris. The term is standard in American and Canadian English, while British English usually calls the same part a windscreen. Windshields are also associated with windshield wipers, which clear rain, snow, and dirt from the glass, and with repair or replacement work when the window is cracked or shattered. In broader technical contexts, a windshield can be any screen or shield intended to stop wind from reaching a person, instrument, or piece of equipment. Although the compound is written as one word, it is transparently descriptive: it combines the English words “wind” and “shield” to name a barrier that both blocks the wind and protects what lies behind it.
nounThe windshield is the front window of a car or other vehicle, made chiefly of laminated glass or transparent plastic. More broadly, the word can refer to a protective screen designed to block wind.
- The front window of a car or other motor vehicle.
- A screen or shield that protects something or someone from wind.
"She turned on the windshield wipers as the rain began to fall."
"A stone struck the windshield, but the laminated glass held together."
"She attached a clear windshield to the motorcycle before the journey."
The regular plural adds "-s" and is used when referring to the front windows of multiple vehicles.
"The mechanic replaced the windshields on both trucks."
A windshield does much more than keep the wind out: it also shields drivers and passengers from rain, insects, stones, and road debris.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of windshield
Windshield is an English compound formed from “wind” and “shield,” both of which have Germanic origins. The compound became established in American English during the early twentieth century as motor vehicles and enclosed driving compartments became increasingly common. British English developed the closely related form “windscreen,” while related compounds include “windbreak” and the English word “windmill,” which shares the same Germanic root for wind.
How windshield is actually used
The word is standard and neutral in American and Canadian English. British English generally uses "windscreen" instead, though "windshield" is understood and sometimes used in technical or North American contexts. It refers specifically to the front window rather than a side or rear window.
Easily confused with windshield
Windscreen is the usual British English term for the same front window that is called a windshield in American and Canadian English.