Does Iowa's screening role make it a battlecruiser?

If Iowa screens other capital ships and pursues fast enemy ships, does that make it a battlecruiser?

Those roles invite a battlecruiser comparison, but the design-based response weighs subdivision and the extent of armor coverage as well as speed, guns, and armor thickness.

The role-based argument compares Iowa with Montana: Iowa has fewer guns, higher speed, and less protection, while screening and pursuit resemble battlecruiser duties. The competing design-based test asks how the hull is divided and how extensively armor covers it. Armor thickness alone does not resolve that distinction. These different definitions explain why fast-battleship and battlecruiser labels can remain disputed even when the ships' characteristics are agreed.