screensaver

Definition

A computer program that displays aesthetic patterns or images when the computer is not being used, originally intended to prevent screenburn.

Etymology

From screen + saver.

Example Sentences

• "I configured my screensaver to appear after only two minutes, because I enjoyed watching it so much."
• "But she changed her screensaver, which was a photo of Julian eating scrambled eggs—he was smiling, holding his fork away from himself, as if he were waving the eggs at her—and replaced it with a photo of Olivia, looking up from her desk […]"
• "If he wanted praise, or sympathy, or the chance to talk over a sensitive subject, he turned to me. A friend told me that she sat down at her computer one day to discover that her husband had changed her screensaver to read: “Be nice to Lloyd."