show

      English

      Alternative forms

      Etymology

      From Middle English schewen, schawen, scheawen, from Old English scēawian (“to look, look at, observe, gaze, behold, see, look on with favor, look favorably on, regard, have respect for, look at with care, consider, inspect, examine, scrutinize, reconnoiter, look out, look for, seek for, select, choose, provide, show (favor, respect, etc.), exhibit, display, grant, decree”), from Proto-Germanic *skauwōną, *skawwōną (“to look, see”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱou-, *(s)ḱeu- (“to heed, look, feel, take note of”); see haw, caveo, caution. Cognate with Scots shaw (“to show”), Eastern Frisian scoe (“to look, behold”), Dutch schouwen (“to inspect, view”), German schauen (“to see, behold”), Danish skue (“to behold”), Icelandic skygna (“to spy, behold, see”), Albanian shkoj (“I go”) related to shikoj (“I see, observe, look for”). Related to sheen.

      Pronunciation

      Verb

      show (third-person singular simple present shows, present participle showing, simple past showed, (dialect or archaic) shew, past participle shown or showed, (dialect or archaic) shewed)

      1. (transitive) To display, to have somebody see (something).
        The car's dull finish showed years of neglect.
        All he had to show for four years of attendance at college was a framed piece of paper.
      2. (transitive) To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate.
        • 2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 162: 
          He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record. With this biological framework in place, Corning endeavors to show that the capitalist system as currently practiced in the United States and elsewhere is manifestly unfair.
      3. (transitive) To guide or escort.
        Could you please show him on his way. He has overstayed his welcome.
      4. (intransitive) To be visible, to be seen.
        Your bald patch is starting to show.
      5. (intransitive, informal) To put in an appearance; show up.
        We waited for an hour, but they never showed.
      6. (intransitive, informal) To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant.
      7. (intransitive, racing) To finish third, especially of horses or dogs.
        In the third race: Aces up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars.

      Synonyms

      Antonyms

      Derived terms

      Terms derived from show (verb)

      Translations

      display
      indicate (a fact) to be true
      have a big belly, as pregnant
      be visible
      The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
      Translations to be checked

      See also

      Noun

      show (plural shows)

      1. (countable) A play, dance, or other entertainment.
      2. (countable) An exhibition of items.
        art show
        dog show
      3. (countable) A demonstration.
        show of force
      4. (countable) A broadcast program/programme.
        radio show
        television show
      5. (countable) A movie.
        Let's catch a show.
      6. (uncountable) Mere display or pomp with no substance
        The dog sounds ferocious but it's all show.
        • Young
          I envy none their pageantry and show.
      7. A project or presentation.
        Let's get on with the show.
        Let's get this show on the road.
        The went on an international road show to sell the shares to investors.
        It was Apple's usual dog and pony show
      8. (baseball, with “the”) The major leagues.
        He played AA ball for years, but never made it to the show.
      9. (mining, obsolete) A pale blue flame at the top of a candle flame, indicating the presence of firedamp.
        (Can we find and add a quotation of Raymond to this entry?)
      10. (obsolete) semblance; likeness; appearance
        • Milton
          He through the midst unmarked, / In show plebeian angel militant / Of lowest order, passed.
        • Bible, Luke xx. 46. 47
          Beware of the scribes, […] which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers.
      11. (medicine) A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occurring a short time before labor.

      Synonyms

      Derived terms

      Translations

      entertainment
      exhibition
      demonstration
      broadcast program(me)
      mere display
      The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
      Translations to be checked

      See also

      Statistics

      Anagrams

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      Norwegian Bokmål

      Etymology

      Borrowing from English show

      Pronunciation

      • IPA: /ʂɔʋ/, /ʂɔu/, X-SAMPA: /s`OP/, /s'Ou/
      • Rhymes: -ɔʋ, -ɔu

      Noun

      show n

      1. show (play, concert, entertainment)

      Inflection

          Inflection of show
      indefinite singular definite singular indefinite plural definite plural
      Bokmål n show showet show showa/showene
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      Norwegian Nynorsk

      Etymology

      Borrowing from English show

      Pronunciation

      • IPA: /ʂɔʋ/, /ʂɔu/, X-SAMPA: /s`OP/, /s'Ou/
      • Rhymes: -ɔʋ, -ɔu

      Noun

      show n

      1. show (play, concert, entertainment)

      Inflection

          Inflection of show
      indefinite singular definite singular indefinite plural definite plural
      Nynorsk n show showet show showa [showi]
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      Spanish

      Etymology

      From English.

      Noun

      show m (plural shows)

      1. show
      2. (informal) A scandal
      3. spectacle
      4. An exhibition motivated action or thing
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      Swedish

      Etymology

      From English.

      Noun

      show c

      1. show; a play, dance, or other entertainment.

      Declension

      Declension of show
      singular plural
      Common indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative show showen shower showerna
      genitive shows showens showers showernas
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      Last modified on 15 June 2013, at 18:51