lexicow

display

/dɪˈspleɪ//dɪˈspleɪ/·verb, noun
I watch a peacock standing with its tail furled to a thin bundle, almost nothing. Then it opens — feather after feather, from the centre out — into a wide bright fan, and along it the eyespots bloom awake one by one, a hundred eyes asking to be seen. It holds the full spread proud for a moment, then folds it all away. To show off, I learn, is just to let the furled thing unfold.
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Definition

To display is to lay something open to view — to unfold it where others can see. Shops display goods, screens display data, and a person can display courage, anger, or skill without a word. The term comes through Old French from the Latin displicare, 'to unfold', and that unfolding is its heart: what was folded away is now spread out. It runs close to exhibit but feels less formal and more everyday — a peacock displays its feathers; a museum exhibits its treasures.

Examples

  • The shop displayed its newest products in a brightly lit window.
  • She displayed a vivid talent for languages from an early age.
  • The screen displays your heart rate and pace in real time.

Collocations

on display·display goods·display emotion·display a tendency·visual display

Synonyms

show·exhibit·present·reveal·demonstrate

Antonyms

conceal·hide

Word family

display (noun)·displayed (adjective)

In TOEFL & IELTS

Everyday and academic at once. 'On display' and 'display symptoms / emotion / a tendency' are exam-ready, and the noun is handy for IELTS Task 1 ('the display shows…'). Treat it as a slightly less formal cousin of exhibit: both mean to show, but display covers screens and shop windows, while exhibit leans toward galleries and evidence.