shower

1 of 3

noun (1)

show·​er ˈshau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce shower (audio)
1
a
: a fall of rain of short duration
b
: a similar fall of sleet, hail, or snow
2
: something resembling a rain shower
a shower of statistics
especially : a fall of meteors which belong to a single group and whose trails appear to originate at the same point in space
3
: a party given by friends who bring gifts often of a particular kind
a bridal shower
4
: a bath in which water is showered on the body
also : the apparatus that provides a shower
showerless adjective
showery adjective

shower

2 of 3

verb

showered; showering; showers

intransitive verb

1
: to rain or fall in or as if in a shower
letters showered on him in praise and protest
2
: to bathe in a shower

transitive verb

1
a
: to wet (as with water) in a spray, fine stream, or drops
b(1)
: to cause to fall in a shower
factory chimneys showered soot on the district
(2)
: to cause a shower to fall on
showered the newlyweds with rice
2
: to give in abundance
showered her with honors
showerer noun

shower

3 of 3

noun (2)

show·​er ˈshō-ər How to pronounce shower (audio)
: one that shows : exhibitor
Phrases
to the showers
: out of the ball game
a pitcher sent to the showers

Examples of shower in a Sentence

Noun (1) a shower of books fell from the collapsing shelves a shower of insults and curses rained down on the criminal as he was led through the crowd Verb Please shower before using the pool. Sparks from the machine showered onto the floor of the garage. Rice showered down on the newlyweds as they left the church.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
However, by Wednesday, the front is expected to stall across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, keeping scattered showers and thunderstorms in the region until Thursday morning. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 For Election Day, though, the National Weather Service forecast a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with clouds in the morning and then skies gradually becoming sunny. Penny Weaver, arkansasonline.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
New parents are often showered with gifts for their baby, so will appreciate anything that’s clearly just for them. Ashley Ziegler, Parents, 5 Nov. 2024 The presidential victor will be showered in praise while the loser will be excoriated — no matter how close the election turns out to be. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for shower 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English shour, from Old English scūr; akin to Old High German scūr shower, storm, Latin caurus northwest wind

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shower was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near shower

Cite this Entry

“Shower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shower. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

shower

1 of 2 noun
show·​er ˈshau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce shower (audio)
1
a
: a short fall of rain over a small area
b
: a similar fall of sleet, hail, or snow
2
: something resembling a shower
a shower of sparks
3
: a party where gifts are given especially to a bride or pregnant woman
4
: a bath in which water is sprayed on a person
also : a device for providing such a bath

shower

2 of 2 verb
1
: to rain or fall in or as if in a shower
2
: to bathe in a shower
3
: to wet with fine spray or drops
4
: to provide in great quantity
showered them with attention

More from Merriam-Webster on shower

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