shower
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a short period of rain or snow.
n.a brief fall of precipitation, typically rain, often characterized by sudden onset and cessation.
Simple“We got caught in a quick rain shower while walking to the park.”
In context“The forecast predicts scattered showers throughout the afternoon, though they are expected to be light and move quickly across the valley.”
- 02 A1 Beginner
n.a piece of equipment that sprays water over you to wash your body, or the act of using it.
n.an apparatus for bathing that sprays water from overhead; also refers to the act of washing oneself using this equipment.
Simple“I always feel much better after a hot shower in the morning.”
In context“The hotel suite featured a walk-in shower with adjustable pressure settings and a rainfall-style head.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
n.a party for someone who is getting married or having a baby, where they receive gifts.
n.a social gathering held to celebrate a significant life event, such as a wedding or birth, where guests typically present the honoree with gifts.
Simple“We are planning a surprise baby shower for my sister next weekend.”
In context“The bridal shower was a sophisticated affair, held in a private garden with close friends and family members.”
Synonyms - 04 C1 Advanced
n.a group of people who are very bad at what they do.
n.a collective term used to describe a group of people perceived as incompetent, disorganized, or worthless.
Simple“The new management team is a total shower; they have no idea what they are doing.”
In context“The sergeant looked at the new recruits and muttered that he had never seen such a shower in all his years of service.”
UsageUsually used with 'a' and followed by 'of'.
Teacher's tipThis is a common British insult, often used to describe a team or a group of workers who have failed.
- 05 A1 Beginner
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to give someone a lot of something, like gifts or praise.
v.to bestow something liberally or in great quantities upon a person.
Simple“The fans showered the singer with flowers at the end of the concert.”
In context“The committee showered the retiring professor with accolades, recognizing her decades of contribution to the field of linguistics.”
UsageUsually takes the preposition 'with'.
From Middle English schour (“shower”), from Old English sċūr (“shower”), from Proto-West Germanic skūru (“shower”), from Proto-Germanic skūrō (“storm, short shower”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱēwer- (“north, north wind, cold wind, rain shower”). Cognates Cognate with Dutch schoer (“downpour, heavy rainshower”), German Schauer (“shower”), Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish skur (“shower”), Faroese skúrur (“shower”), Icelandic skúr (“shower”), Norn skur (“squall”), Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐍂𐌰 (skūra, “storm”), Italian coro (“northwestern wind”), Spanish cauro (“northwestern wind”), Belarusian се́вер (sjévjer), сі́вер (sívjer), Bulgarian and Russian се́вер (séver, “north”), Czech and Slovak sever (“north”), Macedonian север (sever, “north”), Serbo-Croatian sȅvēr, sjȅvēr (“north”), Slovene sẹ́ver (“north”), Ukrainian сі́вер (síver, “cold, cold, bitter wind”).
From Middle English showre, schawere, schewere (“one who exhibits something, actor; watchman, overseer, guide; sign; mirror; index finger”), from Old English sċēawere (“an observer, one who examines into a matter; a spy; mirror; actor, buffoon”), equivalent to show + -er. Cognate with Dutch schouwer (“observer, visionary, clairvoyant”), German Schauer (“an inspector”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.