Plain English Meaning

It is a single cockpit screen that can show many different things — a map, the route, engine readings, weather, traffic — and the pilot chooses what to display.

Full Definition

A cockpit screen in a glass-cockpit aircraft that displays multiple categories of flight information on a single panel, typically including a moving map, navigation data, traffic, terrain, weather, engine and system indications, and flight planning pages. The pilot selects which information is shown by pressing buttons or soft keys around the display.

Context Anchor

Seen in modern aircraft with electronic cockpit screens, especially when using map, weather, traffic, engine, checklist, or flight-plan pages.

Derivation

Multi (many) + function (jobs it does). The name reflects that one screen replaces several older single-purpose instruments and references.