<B>shower</B> (1), noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>a short fall of rain. <BR> <I>Ex. a hard shower.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a short fall of moisture in any form. <BR> <I>Ex. Snow showers are predicted.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. a shower of tears, a shower of sparks from an engine.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a party for giving presents to a woman about to be married or have a baby, or on some other special occasion, especially presents of a similar kind. <BR> <I>Ex. a kitchen shower, a linen shower.</I> <DD><B> 4a. </B>a bath in which water pours down on the body from above in small jets. <BR> <I>Ex. to take a shower.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>an apparatus for producing such a bath. <BR> <I>Ex. to install a shower.</I> <DD><B> c. </B>an enclosure containing such an apparatus. <BR> <I>Ex. a tiled shower.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to rain for a short time. <DD><B> 2. </B>to come in a shower. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) The withered leaves came showering down (Dickens).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to take a bath in which water pours on the body from above in small jets. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to wet with a shower; spray; sprinkle. <DD><B> 2a. </B>(Figurative.) to send in a shower or showers; pour down. <BR> <I>Ex. to shower leaflets on a city. The women, from the roofs and windows, showered stones on the heads of the soldiers (Edward Gibson).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to heap lavishly upon. <BR> <I>Ex. Her rich aunt showered gifts upon her.</I> <DD><B> c. </B>(U.S.) to hold a shower for. <BR> <I>Ex. to shower a bride.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>send to the showers,</B> </I>(U.S. Informal.) to remove (a ballplayer, especially a pitcher) from a game. <BR> <I>Ex. Sparked by another ... home run, the Pirates sent McNally to the showers in the fifth inning (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shower">
<B>shower</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a person who shows, points out, or exhibits. <DD><B> 2. </B>an animal that shows well or makes a (good or bad) display of its qualities. <BR> <I>Ex. He is a smart shower and a well-made dog (Kennel Gazette).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showerbath">
<B>shower bath,</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a bath in which water pours on the body from an overhead nozzle in small jets. <DD><B> 2. </B>the apparatus for such a bath. </DL>
<A NAME="showercap">
<B>shower cap,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a rubber or plastic cap worn to keep the hair dry when taking a shower. </DL>
<A NAME="showeriness">
<B>showeriness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the state of being showery. </DL>
<A NAME="showerproof">
<B>shower-proof, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (British.) water repellent, as a garment or fabric. </DL>
<A NAME="showerstall">
<B>shower stall,</B> <B>=stall shower.</B></DL>
<A NAME="showery">
<B>showery, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>raining or falling in showers. <DD><B> 2. </B>having many showers. <BR> <I>Ex. a showery summer afternoon (Henry Morley).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>like a shower. </DL>
<A NAME="showfolk">
<B>showfolk, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> people in show business; entertainers as a group. </DL>
<A NAME="showgirl">
<B>showgirl, </B>noun. <B>=chorus girl.</B></DL>
<A NAME="showground">
<B>showground, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an area set aside for exhibitions. <BR> <I>Ex. The showground, extending over 166 acres, is the largest that the Royal Agricultural Society has ever laid out (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showily">
<B>showily, </B>adverb.<DL COMPACT><DD> in a showy manner; with display. </DL>
<A NAME="showiness">
<B>showiness, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the quality of being showy; display; pompousness. </DL>
<A NAME="showing">
<B>showing, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a show; display; exhibition. <BR> <I>Ex. a current showing of paintings. Out they [the programs] go to 150 television stations for immediate showing (Newsweek).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Especially U.S.) <DD><B> a. </B>manner of appearance or performance. <BR> <I>Ex. to make a good showing.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a statement or presentation of figures, accounts, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. He is wrong by his own showing.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showjumper">
<B>show jumper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a horse trained for and used in show jumping. </DL>
<A NAME="showjumping">
<B>show jumping,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an exhibition of skill in riding a horse over or between various hurdles. <BR> <I>Ex. Show jumping, as opposed to steeple-chasing, is entirely artificial (London Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showman">
<B>showman, </B>noun, pl. <B>-men.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a man who manages a show. <DD><B> 2. </B>a person skilled in presenting things in a dramatic and exciting way. </DL>
<A NAME="showmanly">
<B>showmanly, </B>adjective, <B>-lier,</B> <B>-liest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> like that of a showman; suitable for a showman. <BR> <I>Ex. The famous blues are played and sung in showmanly style (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showmanship">
<B>showmanship, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the skill or practice of a showman. </DL>
<A NAME="showme">
<B>show-me, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (U.S. Informal.) demanding demonstration; believing only on clear evidence. <BR> <I>Ex. a show-me attitude. The full house was in a show-me mood (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showmestate">
<B>Show Me State,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a nickname for Missouri. </DL>
<A NAME="shown">
<B>shown, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past participle of <B>show.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The clerk has shown the lady many hats. We were shown many tricks.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showoff">
<B>show-off, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>(Informal.) a person who shows off by always calling attention to himself. <BR> <I>Ex. He is a very good baseball player, but he's a terrible show-off. ... under the leader's or the group's influence the show-off or aggressive youngster often learns to channel his tendencies toward the common goal (Sidonie M. Gruenberg).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the act of showing off. </DL>
<A NAME="showpiece">
<B>showpiece, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> anything displayed as an outstanding example of its kind. </DL>
<A NAME="showplace">
<B>showplace, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a place that attracts visitors, as for its beauty or interest. </DL>
<A NAME="showroom">
<B>showroom, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a room used for the display of goods or merchandise, often of items that are samples of what may be bought, but not offered for sale themselves. </DL>
<A NAME="showstopper">
<B>showstopper, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an act or performer so outstanding that the audience's spontaneous response or applause delays the continuation of the show. <BR> <I>Ex. A lampoon on infant prodigies was a showstopper (Wall Street Journal).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showtime">
<B>showtime, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> the time at which a show is scheduled to begin. </DL>
<A NAME="showtrial">
<B>show trial,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a public trial conducted solely for purposes of propaganda, especially in a totalitarian state. <BR> <I>Ex. ... a show trial that featured abject confessions in old Stalinist tradition (Time).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showwindow">
<B>show window,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a window in the front of a store, where things are shown for sale; shopwindow. </DL>
<A NAME="showy">
<B>showy, </B>adjective, <B>showier,</B> <B>showiest.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>making a display; likely to attract attention; striking; conspicuous. <BR> <I>Ex. A peony is a showy flower. She's showier and better-looking than they are (Booth Tarkington).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>too bright and gay to be in good taste. <BR> <I>Ex. a showy red dress.</I> (SYN) garish. <DD><B> 3. </B>ostentatious. <BR> <I>Ex. They want to do vulgar, showy things (H. G. Wells).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="showygoldenrod">
<B>showy goldenrod,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a goldenrod with hairy branches and a thick stem, found in open woods and prairies of the eastern and Midwestern United States. </DL>
<A NAME="showyladysslipper">
<B>showy lady's-slipper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> an American orchid having large white flowers and a lip tinged with brilliant pinkish purple. It is the state flower of Minnesota. </DL>
<A NAME="showyorchis">
<B>showy orchis,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a common North American species of orchid bearing a spike of pink-purple flowers with a white lip. </DL>
<B>shr.,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> share or shares. </DL>
<A NAME="shraddha">
<B>shraddha, </B>noun. <B>=sradha.</B></DL>
<A NAME="shrank">
<B>shrank, </B>verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> a past tense of <B>shrink.</B> <BR> <I>Ex. The shirt shrank in the wash.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shrapnel">
<B>shrapnel, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>an artillery shell filled with pellets and powder, set to explode in the air and scatter pellets or shell fragments over a wide area. <DD><B> 2. </B>such shells collectively. <BR> <I>Ex. to fire a barrage of shrapnel.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>one or more of the pellets or fragments scattered by the explosion of such a shell. <BR> <I>Ex. to be wounded by shrapnel.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shred">
<B>shred, </B>noun, verb, <B>shredded</B> or <B>shred,</B> <B>shredding.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a very small piece torn off or cut off; very narrow strip; scrap. <BR> <I>Ex. The wind tore the sail to shreds.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a fragment; particle; bit. <BR> <I>Ex. There's not a shred of evidence that the missing papers were stolen.</I> (SYN) iota, whit. <DD><I>v.t. </I> to tear or cut into small pieces; reduce to shreds. <BR> <I>Ex. Paper is often shredded for use in packing dishes and the like.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to be reduced to shreds. </DL>
<A NAME="shreddedwheat">
<B>shredded wheat,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a dry breakfast food made by shredding wheat and baking it in the form of biscuits. </DL>
<A NAME="shredder">
<B>shredder, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> an instrument for shredding. <BR> <I>Ex. a cabbage shredder, a paper shredder.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="shrew">
<B>shrew, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a small mammal like a mouse, that has a long snout, tiny eyes and ears, and brownish fur. Shrews eat insects and worms. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative.) a bad-tempered, quarrelsome woman. <BR> <I>Ex. Once the marriage contract is signed, the sweet little bride turns into an extravagant shrew (Time).</I> (SYN) vixen, termagant. adj. <B>shrewlike.</B> </DL>
