show·er / ˈshou(-ə)r/ • n. 1. a brief and usually light fall of rain, hail, sleet, or snow. ∎  a mass of small things falling or moving at the same time: a shower of dust sprinkled his face. ∎ fig. a large number of things happening or given to someone at the same time: he was pleased by the shower of awards. ∎  a group of particles produced by a cosmic-ray particle in the earth's atmosphere.2. an enclosure in which a person stands under a spray of water to wash. ∎  the apparatus that produces such a spray of water. ∎  (also shower bath) an act of washing oneself in a shower.3. a party at which presents are given to someone, typically a woman who is about to get married or have a baby: she loved going to baby showers.• v. 1. [intr.] (of a mass of small things) fall or be thrown in a shower: bits of broken glass showered over me. ∎  [tr.] cause (a mass of small things) to fall in a shower: his hooves showered sparks across the concrete floor. ∎  [tr.] (shower someone with) throw (a number of small things) all at once toward someone: hooligans showered him with rotten eggs. ∎  [tr.] (shower someone with) give someone a great number of (things): he showered her with kisses. ∎  [tr.] (shower something on/upon) give a great number of things to (someone): senior officers showered praise on their young cadet.2. [intr.] wash oneself in a shower.PHRASES: send someone to the showers inf. cause someone to fail early on in a race or contest.

Shower

something resembling a fall of rain; a copious supply; Derogatory, a crowd of people.

Examples : shower of arrows, 1375; of ashes, 1829; of beauty, 1803; of blessings; of blood, 1643; of blows, 1852; of bullets, 1687; of clubs, 1570; of emoluments, 1817; of gifts; of gold, 1840; of eternal graces, 1616; of grief, 1638; of hailstones, 1576; of leaves 1877; of letters 1888; of light, 1781; of meteorologists—Lipton, 1970; of hard names, 1751; of plenty, 1748; of rain, 1618; of sleet, 1570; of snow, 1570; of sparks; of stars, 1811; of stones, 1849; of tears, 1663; of water, 1859.

Shower ★★ Xizao 2000 (PG-13)

Da Ming (Xin) is a successful modern businessman who returns to Beijing after receiving alarming news from his retarded younger brother Er Ming (Wu) about their father, Liu (Xu). But the worst thing Liu has to worry about is the closure of the oldfashioned bathhouse he runs, which provides a quiet haven for its denizens. Da Ming slowly begins to reconnect to his family and working class roots but what will happen if the bathhouse really does close? Sentimental comic saga. Chinese with subtitles. 94m/C VHS, DVD . CH Zhu Xu, Jiang Wu, Pu Cun Xin; D: Yang Zhang; W: Yang Zhang; C: Jian Zhang; M: Ye Xiao Gang.

shower a shower of rain is the emblem of St Swithin.
send someone to the showers in North American usage, send off or eject someone, especially early on, from a match, race, or contest.

See also April showers, May flowers.

shower fall of rain OE.; copious fall (of missiles OE.; of tears, etc. XIV); †conflict, attack, pang XIII. OE. sċūr = OS. skūr, MDu. schuur (Du. schoer), OHG. scūr (G. schauer) :- WGmc. *skūra m., beside *skūrō fem. (ON. skúr shower of rain, of missiles, Goth. skūra storm).
Hence vb. XVI.