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

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
Noun
The money pays for full-time staff, case management services, showers, a laundry room and a library. Lawrence Mower, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 The warm and graceful primary suite connects to a large walk-in closet and a deluxe bathroom with double sinks, a stall shower, and a Jacuzzi tub. Bang Advertising Staff and Correspondents, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 At night, there’s a 30% chance of showers with a low temperature near 45 degrees. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Rain chances are decreasing with time and only one or two stray showers — very light and brief raindrops — seem possible into sunrise tomorrow. A. Camden Walker, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Snow showers in the Sierra are expected to continue through Sunday and Monday, and there are more chances of snow on Wednesday. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Their biggest disagreement in recent memory was over the color of their new shower curtain – Compton wanted one that was hot pink and printed with diamonds, while Davis wanted a shower curtain with a cozy cottage vibe. Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Through the designer kitchen lies the three en suite bedrooms, including a primary suite complete with a walk-in closet, walk-in shower and window-side soaking tub with pool and city views. Spencer Elliott, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Temperatures in southeast Michigan are expected to crash Wednesday, reaching 25 degrees by 5 p.m. and bringing snow showers with it. Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 28 Feb. 2024
Verb
Tori Spelling and ex Dean McDermott are showering their youngest son with love on his birthday. Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Black recommends getting dressed in dark, loose fitting clothing and allowing the tan to develop for eight hours before showering. Addie Morton, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Fast Focaccia To let rosemary shine in simple glory, shower it on top of this reader-favorite, beginner-friendly, no-knead bread. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 2 Mar. 2024 Navalny’s team shared an image from inside the church during the service, showing the Kremlin critic’s body showered with roses while his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya – who spent more than a week in Siberia attempting to retrieve her son’s body – held a candle and watched on. Matthew Chance, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 The kitchen is centered around a vast island with an integrated snack bar, and skylights shower the strongly veined marble counters and numerous work areas with natural light. Mark David, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 The utility's lead water operator Jake Tanner said, for about the past year-and-a-half, Columbus has been tweaking the levels of chemicals required by the state in its water in order to offer a better taste for drinking and a better experience when showering. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2024 Each lyric seemed to linger in the air, showering over the audience in a luxurious blend of voice and sound. Billboard Japan, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2024 Neither Curry nor Ionescu would ever give any oxygen to that discourse, instead showering each other with praise and respect. Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 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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