show

▪ I. show, n.¹
    (ʃəʊ)
    Forms: 3 (in comb.) shæw-, 4 sceu, 4–5 schewe, 4–6 north. schawe, 6 sheaw, sheow, shoe, shue, Sc. schaw, s(c)hau, 6–7 shewe, showe, 7 sho, Sc. schew, shaw, 6–9 shew, 6– show.
    [f. show v.: cf. MLG., MDu. schowwe fem. (mod.Du. schouw), OHG. scou fem. (MHG. schou, schow(e fem. and masc., mod.G. schau fem.) looking at, inspection.]
    I. 1. a. The action or an act of exhibiting to view or notice. Now rare, exc. in specific use or phrase (see 1 c, 1 d, 1 k).

a 1300 Cursor M. 28616 Lele script agh be thre-fald, Wit reuth of hert, wit sceu to preist, Betyng of sin þe thrid þer neist. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 2253 Tristrem hir bar þat tide And on þe quen fel he Next her naked side, Þat mani man miȝt y se San schewe. 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iv. 56 Some had..schewed ffor þe shire and here schew lost. 1530 Palsgr. 267/1 Shewe of a thyng to sale, lustre. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 763 The Dukes themselues entended for the shewe of their diligence, to be the first that should attend that day vpon the kinges highnesse. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. ii. 7 Y⊇ next day then following (upon shew of himselfe to them) there came about the number of fifteene of his Countrey men. 1598 Stow Surv. Lond. 349 Two publique houses for the acting and shewe of Comedies, Tragedies, and Histories. 1600 Surflet Country Farm i. ii. 2 A briefe show of that which shall more largely be described in that which followeth. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 412 ¶3 We are indeed so often..tired out with so many repeated Shows of the same Things, that whatever is new or uncommon contributes a little to vary human Life.

    † b. The fact of being presented to view or displayed. at the first show: at first sight. Obs.

1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 364 Fyrst brynginge it [gold] furth to the open shewe. 1563 Googe Eglogs, To W. Louelace (Arb.) 24 The grosenes of my Style: whiche thus commytted to the gasynge shewe of euery eye shuld forth with disclose ye manifest foly of the Writer. 1565 T. Stapleton Fortr. Faith 58 God hath placed his church in the sight and shew of the worlde. 1574 A. L. Calvin's 4 Serm. i, These things at the first shew seeme very straunge.

    c. A demonstration or display of military strength or of intention to take severe measures. † Also transf. a manifestation of divine power. Chiefly in phr. to make a show.

a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 24 All the countrey of Arthois and Picardie, fortified their holdes and made shewes as the Englishe army passed, but thei durst not once assaile them. c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. cxxxv. iv, ægipts first borne in one night [God] overthrew: And yet not so his dreadfull showes he ceas'd, But did them still in ægipts mid'st renew. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 412 They made no manner of show of their arms to us. 1853 Dickens Child's Hist. xx. II. 115 [Henry IV.] began his reign by making a strong show against the followers of Wickliffe. Ibid. xxii. 169 Jack Cade..having made a show of his forces there.

    d. Phr. † to set in show, set to show: to exhibit to view, display (obs.). on show (formerly † in show, † upon a or the show): in process of being shown or exhibited; on view.

a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) G ij, To sell suche marchaundyse, sette it not in so yll a shewe. 1576 Gascoigne Steel Glas (Arb.) 69 These things (my Lord) my glasse now sets to shew. c 1590 Marlowe Jew of Malta ii. ii. 748 On this condition shall thy Turkes be sold. Goe Officers and set them straight in shew. 1595 A. Day Engl. Secretorie Ded. A 2, In signification of the will I haue to do vnto your Lordship any acceptable seruice, [I have] no other matter in shew, then a fresh renouation of the selfe same title by a second presentment. 1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit. i. 688 His joy conceal'd, he sets himself to show. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 255 ¶8 His Actions..lose their Lustre when they are drawn at large, and set to show by his own Hand. 1737 Bracken Farriery Impr. (1757) II. 34 They generally buy Horses when upon a Shew (as it is called) in the Dealer's Hand, which is the Way to be deceived. Ibid. 35 As to his Spirit which appears upon the Shew, it is all forced. 1890 Spectator 22 Nov. 733/2 We proceed to look at the tables and chairs and other things on show.

    † e. to make or give show of: to manifest, display, indicate. Obs.

1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 222, I haue seene his pourtraiture..the lineaments whereof made shew of an excellent wit. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 152 The good and aproued hounds..when they haue found the Hare, make shew therof to the hunter. 1642 H. More Song of Soul i. i. xx, Those parts the eye is near give not the shew Of any colour. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. I. 288 Shaking their Lances at us, [they] made all the shew of hatred that they could invent.

    † f. in show of: by way of indicating or expressing, in token of. Obs.

1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xix. 68 Vailing their two top sails in shew of obedience.

    g. to give (one) a show of: to let (one) see (and partake of). Sc.

1788 Picken Pooms 58 Come tak' a seat, an' gies a shaw O' your snuff-horn.

    h. show of hands: the holding up the hand above the head, as a means by which the members of an assembly indicate their vote or judgement upon a proposition.

1789 Scott in J. Haggard Rep. Consist. Crt. (1822) I. 13 It often happens that on a shew of hands, the person has the majority, who on a poll is lost in a minority. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xiii, There was a show of hands; the Mayor decided in favour of the honourable Samuel Slumkey..Horatio Fizkin, Esquire..demanded a poll. 1912 Times 19 Dec. 18/5 At each of the meetings the scheme appeared to be approved on a show of hands.

    2. a. The external aspect (of a person or thing). Now rhet. or poet. in this gen. sense.

1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions i. iv. 39 Dyuers peoples..monstruous and of hugly shewe. 1566 Drant Hor. Sat. ii. vii, I ij b, His master, goes in sage attyre: that geues a sober shue. 1594 Willobie Avisa xlvii. (Grosart) 96 Say, 'twas her wit & modest shoe, That made you like and loue her so. 1602 Shakes. Ham. i. ii. 85 But I haue that Within, which passeth show; These, but the Trappings, and the Suites of woe. 1611 Bible Isa. iii. 9 The shew of their countenance doeth witnesse against them. a 1781 Watson Philip III, iii. (1793) I. 296 Under the simple show..of a citizen, he concealed all the qualities of a hero. 1799 Wordsw. Poems Sentim., Poet's Epit. 45 The outward shows of sky and earth, Of hill and valley, he has viewed. 1840 Carlyle Heroes iii. (1841) 136 Men worship the shows of great men; the most disbelieve that there is any reality of great men to worship.

    b. in show, in appearance. Often with the idea that the reality behind is different (cf. 6, 7): In appearance only, ostensibly, seemingly. Also (rarely) with show.

a 1586 Sidney Arcadia i. ii. §7 While hee was speaking, there came a boy in shew like a Merchants prentice. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xlviii. §10 Otherwise they are but in shew opposite and not in truth. 1597 Gerarde Herbal i. xxxv. 48 The small Flower de-luce of Dalmatia is in shew like to the precedent. 1614 Gorges Lucan v. 187 With shew the Vrne the lots decides. 1647 N. Bacon Disc. Govt. Eng. i. lviii. (1739) 108 The place of the Chief Justice was in shew but one Office. 1732 T. Lediard Sethos II. x. 365 She had let the council of state..subsist in shew. 1817 Jas. Mill Brit. India III. vi. i. 51 To have two governing bodies; the one real, the other only in show. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. xvii. (1876) IV. 54 The King by the edge of the sword changed himself in all outward show into a King according to the laws of England.

    † c. to the show: to outward view or appearance, as far as appearance goes. Obs.

1556 Robinson More's Utopia i. (Arb.) 44 This iustice is more beautiful in apperaunce, and more florishynge to the shewe, then either iuste or profitable. 1609 Bible (Douay) Isa. vi. 13 She..shal be to the shew [Vulg. in ostensionem] as a terebinth, and as an oke.

    d. to have († bear, † carry) a (or the) show of: to wear the appearance of; to appear to be, appear to partake of; to look like, resemble. arch. or Obs.

1581 Campion in Confer. iii. (1584) T iij, He gaue them that which had the name of wine, and had the shewe of it, but..was not in deede wine. 1581 Act 23 Eliz. c. 9 § 2 Which Coulers..carrye a shewe of a good true and perfitte couler of woaded and mathered Blacke. 1611 Bible Col. ii. 23 Which things haue in deed a shew of wisedome. 1613 Day Festivals v. (1615) 124 Even of those that beare the shew of the purest Professors amongst us. 1625 Bacon Ess., Simulation (Arb.) 510 Simulation and Dissimulation, commonly carry with them a Shew of Fearfulnesse.

    † e. for show: to save appearances, ‘for the look of the thing’. Obs.

a 1700 Dryden Cymon & Iph. 637 The Kindred of the Slain forgive the Deed; But a short Exile must for Show precede. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1897) I. ix. 398 They were not to be surprised, if the Danes seemed at first to talk high: that was to be done for shew: but they would grow calmer when they should engage.

    f. Theol. and Philos. Used occas. as an equivalent for ‘accident’, ‘phenomenon’, ‘species’.

1560 Jewel Serm. at Paul's Cross C viij, The accidents of the bread, (that is to say) the whitenes or roundenes, or other sutch outward fourmes or shewes of breade, as he seeth with his eye. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. i. §5. 7 Intentional Species or Shews, propagated from the Objects to our Senses.

    3. a. With qualifying word: A (fine, striking, etc.) appearance; an appearance which makes a strong impression on the beholder. Usu. in phr. to make († bear, † yield) a (fine, etc.) show. Also without qualification, a fine or striking appearance, imposing display. Also to put up a (good, etc.) show: to give (such) an account of oneself.

c 1550–80 Robin Consc. in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 239 Bvt and I liue another yeer, I will haue a better showe; I will not goe thvs slvttishly, I trowe. 1592 Babington Notes Gen. vii. 32 b, About the beginning of May, when all things flourished and yeelded show. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 277 Windesore beareth a goodly shew. 1686 tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 263 And all to make a shew and dazle the world. 1743 J. Morris Serm. ii. 34 They rather affected to exercise those gifts, which make a great shew. 1840 Thackeray Barber Cox July, Their names made a famous show in the bills. 1881 Westcott & Hort Grk. N.T. I. 548 After Eusebius they [i.e. Western quotations] make no show in Greek theology. 1905 R. Bagot Passport xxi. 205 The furniture..made a sorry show of comfort in the huge rooms. 1934 A. P. Herbert Holy Deadlock 265 They've got to run the thing as they find it; and I think they put up a jolly good show. 1941 ‘G. Orwell’ in World Rev. (1950) June 41 Impossible to guess what kind of show the Russians can put up.

    † b. to have some show: to present a specious or plausible appearance; to have weight with, or commend itself to, others; also, to appear likely, ‘promise’ (to do something). Obs.

1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. xi. 151 b, At the fyrst, he covered his mynde craftely, that his writte myght have some shewe [ut aliquam haberet speciem diploma]. 1574 Whitgift Def. Answ. iii. ii. 143 The places of the 44. of Ezechiel haue some shew in them. 1606 Knolles tr. Bodin's Commw. i. v. 34 These arguments haue some good show to proue that seruitude is naturall, profitable, and honest.

    c. (Now only U.S., Austral., and N.Z.) An opportunity for displaying or exerting oneself; a chance, ‘opening’. Phr. to give (a person) a show; to have or stand a (or no) show. Const. for, to (do something).
    Continuity of the mod. use with that in quot. 1579 is hardly possible, but the notion seems to be closely similar.

1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 41 Education can haue no shewe, where the excellencye of Nature doth beare sway. Ibid. 62 Where loue beareth sway, friendship can haue no shewe. 1864 ‘Mark Twain’ in Harte & ‘Twain’ Sk. Sixties (1926) iv. 141 Give him another show. 1866 H. W. Harper Lett. from N.Z. (1914) 102 There was a general response: ‘We'll be there, and give you a show’, a bit of diggers' slang, which I found meant—‘Here's your chance, can you use it?’ 1876–7 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Colonial Reformer (1890) II. xvi. 42 As he's a gentleman, he's bound to give you a show. 1884 Lisbon (Dakota) Star 22 Aug., He stood no show of securing the nomination for the legislature. 1888 Boston (Mass.) Jrnl. 10 Dec. 2/3 Must we found an O'Brien dynasty to convince outsiders that men of Celtic blood have a fair show in Boston? 1891 N. Gould Double Event 70 He thought Caloola had a big show for the Sydney Derby.

    d. dial. Applied to the display made by an animal when at its best; e.g. the plumage of a cock-bird at pairing-time, the udder of a cow.

1886 Newton in Encycl. Brit. XXI. 54/2 (Ruff), The cock-bird, when out of his nuptial attire, or, to use the fen⁓man's expression, when he has not ‘his show on’. 1886 Sale-catalogue in W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., Grand heifer, splendid show.

    4. a. In generalized sense: Ostentatious display.

1713 Addison Trial Count Tariff 14 The Court..upon Examination found him a True Spaniard: Nothing but Show and Beggary. 1817 M. Edgeworth Ormond i, Sir Ulick..loved shew and company. 1859 Habits Gd. Society v. 233 Yet it [the zither] is not calculated for large concerts: we English must have noise and show.

    † b. of show: suited for display; fine, splendid.

1573–80 Th. M. To Rdr. xi. in Baret's Alv. A vj/2 These floures of shewe..Are here in Hiue. a 1668 R. Lassels Voy. Italy (1698) II. 119 They shewed me..curious saddles, harness, liveries of show embroidered with gold and silver. 1789 Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France II. 169 Wealth diffused makes all men comfortable, and leaves no man splendid... Objects of show are therefore unfrequent in England.

    c. for show: for the sake of mere appearance or display, as opposed to utility.

a 1700 Evelyn Diary Aug. 1641 (Haarlem), A faire payre of organs, which I could not find they made use of in divine service,..but only for shewe. 1849 Dk. Rutland in Croker Papers (1884) III. 195, I apprehend that for night use they [the pillows] were large, and were replaced by small ones for show during the day. 1886 Ruskin Præterita I. vi. 184 My father..never would have paid the cost of an extra horse for show.

    5. a. An appearance or display (of something, a quality, activity, sentiment, etc.) to which there is at least some degree of reality to correspond. Chiefly in negative contexts or with a limiting word (some, some little).

1581 Lambarde Eiren. i. v. (1602) 26 It hath some shew of question. 1604 E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies v. xxvii. 408 In other things their customes and ceremonies have some shew of reason. 1668 Dryden Secret Love Pref. a 1 b, If this with any shew of reason may be defended. 1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. xii, Whereupon, that gentleman, with some little show of alarm, told her that [etc.]. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton xviii. 244 When she is in the house, I am treated with some show of attention.

    b. An indication, sign or token of something; a trace or vestige of. Now only in negative contexts.

1563 Homilies II. Inform. ii. Vvv j, Yet let vs not be scorners..for that is the vttermost token & shewe of a reprobate. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 394 Here are many mountaines that beare shewes of mettals, but they went not to see them. 1604 E. G[rimstone] tr. D'Acosta's Hist. Indies i. xxv. 79 These markes and shewes of a deluge. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xv. (1623) 810 Vexation of mind and distemperature of body carried apparant shewes in his face. 1718 Hickes & Nelson Kettlewell i. i. 2 It fell into Decay, and now hath no Shew of its ancient Grandeur. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xvi, No show or sign of greeting passed between the Earls.

    c. (a) U.S. and Austral. An indication of the presence of metal in a mining ground, of oil in a well, etc.

[1600: cf. 5 b]. 1756 W. Fairfax Let. 26 Apr. in S. M. Hamilton Lett. to Washington (1898) I. 231 Prospect of great Wealth from his Share of a Copper Mine..which has a Show of much rich Ore. 1864 Harper's Mag. Dec. 60/2 A young farmer..was eloquent upon the ‘show’ the new well had made. 1870 Cone & Johns Petrolia 144 (Cent.) The depth to which a well is drilled is..regulated..sometimes by the show, as it is called, of the oil in the well. 1876–7 Vennor in Geol. Survey of Canada 304 The best shows of the mineral [apatite] occur on the first part of lot nineteen. 1916 Daily Colonist (Victoria, B.C.) 29 July 4/3 The copper deposits which have been examined have not advanced beyond the stage of prospectors' shows. 1949 Amer. Speech XXIV. 34 Black gold, crude, crude oil,..show, and showing are synonyms. 1975 North Sea Background Notes (Brit. Petroleum Co.) 19 Ten days later a more encouraging show was found at a deeper level, but it was two months before the company was able to announce that it had indeed made the first commercial discovery of gas in the North Sea.

    (b) Austral. A mine.

1931 V. Palmer Separate Lives 186 He's sitting on twelve thousand since he got rid of his cobalt show, and he can't spend that here. 1942 [see never adv. 9]. 1948 V. Palmer Golconda ii. 9 During the war they had rehabilitated themselves by carting wolfram on camels from a show they had discovered on the Western Australian border.

    d. An appearance or ‘promise’ of or for something that is to come. Obs. exc. dial.

1648 Gage West Ind. 90 The Indians comforted us with the shews of fair weather. 1768 Ann. Reg., Hist. Europe 133/1 The season seems critical and the shew for plenty not yet to be relied upon. 1886 W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., There's a fine show for apples—i.e. prospect or appearance of a crop.

    6. a. An unreal or illusory appearance (of something); an appearance with little or no reality behind it.

1547 Homilies I. Good Wks. i. C ij b, They be but shadowes & shewes of liuely and good thynges, & not good and liuely thynges in deede. 1639 N. N. tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman i. 8 There is a shew onely of good in these kinde of Pamphlets. 1700 Rowe Amb. Step-Mother i. i. 215 Disdain those shews of Danger. 1873 Symonds Grk. Poets vii. 227 True: for it gives a show of seeming health; And shows are good, although there be no substance.

    b. In generalized sense: Empty appearance without reality.

1583 B. Melbancke Philotimus C j b, They scatter the meate they haue in their mouthes, while they scratch for the shadowe which deludes them with shew. 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain xiv. 139 ‘Ah!’ she thought, ‘if he knew how ill I behaved! It is all show and hollowness with me’.

    7. a. An appearance (of some quality, feeling, activity, etc.) assumed with more or less intention to deceive; a feigned or misleading appearance; a simulation or pretence. Also, a half-hearted or inchoate attempt or ‘offer’ (of doing something). Formerly often pl.

c 1526 Tindale Introd. Ep. Rom. a iij, Though their be..never so glorious an outewarde shewe and apperance off honeste lyvynge. 1596 Drayton Leg. Robt. Norm. 473 To cloath Treason in a vertuous show. 1611 Bible Luke xx. 47 Which deuoure widowes houses, and for a shew [προϕάσει] make long prayers. 1725 Pope Odyss. iv. 966 Ill suits it with your shews of duteous zeal, From me the purpos'd voyage to conceal. 1827 Scott Highl. Widow v, Whether he purposed by a show of resistance, to provoke them to kill him on the spot. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. ii. I. 267 [They] were heard, if not with approbation, yet with the show of acquiescence. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) I. vi. 449 His refusal was cloked under a show of feudal loyalty. 1885 L'pool Daily Post 7 May 5/3 It was instructive to witness Mr. John Hughes rise, and with great show of indignation, gibe at his leader.

    b. to make (a) show, to assume an appearance which is more or less deceptive; to make a pretence or feint, pretend. Const. of, † for, † to with inf.; † also with as though, as if and clause. Also, to make a half-hearted beginning or attempt at doing something; const. of with n. of action.

1559 Fecknam in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. ii. App. ix. 25 Every Booke made a shewe to be set furthe accordinge to the syncere Word of God. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 340 Such as were wicked and maliciously mynded, would not depart, but made a shewe as though they would do somewhat. 1611 Bible Gal. vi. 12 As many as desire to make a faire shew in the flesh. 1635 R. N. tr. Camden's Hist. Eliz. iii. 268 Whatsoever he revealed, the Queene made shew as if she understood it all before. 1640 tr. Verdere's Rom. of Rom. ii. l. 195 Trasiclea..peradventure is not so much displeased, as she makes shew for. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. x. 30 They made shew as though they would be gone. 1653 Holcroft Procopius, Pers. Wars i. 3 The Ephthalites made shew to be much affraid. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. xi. §98 They made great shows of being mutually glad to see each other. 1819 Scott Leg. Montrose xv, The Lowland cavalry made a show of charging. 1863 Dickens Let. W. Collins 24 Sept. in Pall Mall Gaz. (1891) 23 Oct. 3/1 Two little men, who did nothing, made a show of doing it all.

    c. by show of, under a show of: under pretence or pretext of, by alleging as a pretext or authority.

1625 Bacon Ess., Judicature ¶1 And by Shew of [ed. 1612 by colour of] Antiquitie, to introduce Noueltie. 1681 W. Robertson Phraseol. Gen. 1119/2 Under a shew of friendship, per simulationem amicitiæ.

    d. to put on (or up) a show: to present a good appearance that conceals the reality; to put a good or brave face on something.

1953 B. Gordon-Cumming Gentle Rain 140 ‘It was encouraging to see her looking so nice, wasn't it?’.. ‘I expect she was putting on a show for our sakes.’ 1960 O. Manning Great Fortune iii. xviii. 215 He had learnt to ‘put up a show’. He had hidden his fears and uncertainties.

    II. concr. Something shown or presented to view.
    8. a. A person or thing exhibited or gazed at as an object of admiration, curiosity, mockery, or the like. to make a show of, to exhibit to public view; to expose to public contempt.

1535 Coverdale Col. ii. 15 And hath spoyled rule and power, and hath made a shewe of them openly. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. x. 136 b, The kyng and his two fellowes were caried hither and thither vnto Prynces, for a shewe and mockery. 1605 Shakes. Macb. v. viii. 24 Then yeeld thee Coward, And liue to be the shew, and gaze o' th' time. 1618 Bolton Florus iii. iii. (1636) 170 Theutobocchus,..being apprehended..was single an whole shew himselfe. 1791 ‘G. Gambado’ Ann. Horsem. x. (1809) 109, I could have sold my horse for a hundred guineas, as a show. 1810 Crabbe Borough ii. 97 That marble arch, our sexton's favourite show. 1818 Byron Ch. Har. iv. xviii, [Venice] Perchance even dearer in her day of woe, Than when she was a boast, a marvel, and a show. 1842 Murray's Hand-bk. N. Italy 17/2 The Armeria Regia..is considered as one of the principal shows of Turin.

    b. Something mechanically contrived or put together as an object for exhibition or display.

1587 L. Mascall Cattle, Sheep (1596) 236 Others set vp shewes of dead Dogges heades, which is to feare any wilde beast in comming to the folde. 1590 E. Webbe Trav. (Arb.) 29 In which shew or Arke there was thirteene thousand seuerall peeces of fire worke.

    c. transf. A person whose appearance is likely to attract notice for its oddity, etc.; a ‘sight’; an object of contemptuous pity.

1700 T. Brown Amusem. Ser. & Com., Lond. 28 That Wheezing Sickly Shew..is the Devil's Broker. 1749 Johnson Van. Hum. Wishes 318 And Swift expires a Driv'ler and a Show.

    † 9. Something put forward or exhibited as a specimen or sample. Obs.

1572 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. xxix. 72 b, With this Caruel he sent a man of that Countrey for a shew, by what kinde of people the same was inhabited. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events A iiij, This booke is so little, that it is but a shew, which breeds a wish for an ampler piece.

    10. a. gen. A sight, spectacle. Usually with qualifying word.

1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist., Euagrius Schol. ii. xiii. 437 This lamentable destruction reached..from Constantines market vnto the market of Taurus, a pitiefull shewe and dredfull to behold. 1639 Rouse Heav. Univ. iii. (1702) 24 So neither are they presented to us as bare sights, Shews, and Spectacles. 1673–4 Grew Anat. Plants iii. ii. (1682) 127 In the Leaves of Pine, they [the Pores] are likewise through a Glass a very Elegant Show. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 412 ¶6 We no where meet with a more glorious or pleasing Show in Nature than what appears in the Heavens at the rising and setting of the Sun. 1806 Wordsw. Addr. Child 27 That one upright twig..Studded with apples, a beautiful show! 1908 [Miss E. Fowler] Betw. Trent & Ancholme 28 The golden Alyssum grows, a beautiful show in the spring.

    b. dial. A picture or print in a book.

a 1837 Mrs. Palmer Dial. Devon. Dial. i. (1839) 1, I..was looking to zee if there be any shows [footn. prints or pictures] in en. 1901 F. E. Taylor Folk-Sp. S. Lancs. (E.D.D.), Aw loike a book wi' plenty o' shows in it.

    11. A phantasmal appearance; an apparition.

1611 Shakes. Cymb. v. v. 428 As I slept, me thought Great Iupiter vpon his Eagle back'd Appear'd to me, with other sprightly shewes Of mine owne Kindred. 1645 Ussher Body Div. 117 What mean you by Visions? Their appearing..to the mind and inward senses, either in the night by dreams..or in the day by some strange shows, as they did to the Prophets. a 1700 Dryden Flower & Leaf 481 What you saw, was all a Fairy Show.

    12. a. A display on a large scale of objects for public inspection; esp. a temporary exhibition in a particular place and under special regulations of objects (e.g. flowers, cattle, motor-cars) arranged so as to facilitate inspection, comparison or purchase.

1816 Jane Austen Emma III. xviii. 338 You were both talking of other things; of business, shows of cattle, or new drills. 1837 Youatt Sheep 317 From the 1st to the 8th of June the members shall not show their rams, except to one another. They shall begin their general show on the 8th of June. 1840 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. I. p. lviii, The show of live-stock [at the Oxford Meeting] was numerous. 1864 Field 2 July 8/2 Show of Horses at the Agricultural Hall, Islington. Ibid. 71/3 The aristocratic shows of the Royal Horticultural Society. 1913 Illustr. Lond. News 22 Feb. 260/1 In previous years the Aero Show..has utterly failed to attract the general public.

    b. A display of objects casually brought or found together.

1695 Woodward Nat. Hist. Earth vi. (1723) 295 July, and August..exhibit a still different Shew of Vegetables. 1885 Field 7 Feb. 147/3 The chief feature of the day was the fine show of foxes at Gumley.

    13. a. A spectacle elaborately prepared or arranged in order to entertain a number of spectators; a pageant, masque, procession, or similar display on a large scale.
    Often used, esp. in pl., for the displays of the theatre and circus in ancient Rome (spectacula, ludi). Not applied to a regular dramatic performance (but see 15, and cf. dumb show). For Lord Mayor's Show see Lord Mayor 1.

1561 [see dumb show]. 1575 Laneham Let. (1871) 1 Too bee prezent at any sheaw or spectacl. 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. v. i. 118 The King would haue mee present the Princesse..with some delightfull ostentation, or show, or pageant. 1629 Hobbes Thucyd. ii. 90 All the dedicated vessels belonging to the Shewes and Games. 1770 Langhorne Plutarch, Sylla (1879) I. 515/1 A few months after, he presented the people with a shew of gladiators. 1797 Burke Regic. Peace iii. Wks. VIII. 393 It is a shew, and a spectacle, not a play, that is exhibited. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iv. I. 474 It is surely the height of absurdity to shut out the populace from a show of which the main object is to make an impression on the populace. 1911 T. S. Holmes Orig. Chr. Ch. Gaul ii. 43 It was the last day of the shows.

    b. In generalized sense: Pageantry.

1912 Stage Year Bk. 9 Without stage show Shakespeare would not be so popular.

    14. a. In more trivial use: An exhibition of strange objects, wild beasts, dancers, acrobats, etc., held usually in a booth or portable building, with a small charge for admission. (A number of these are often set up side by side at a fair, or within the enclosure of a large ‘exhibition’. Cf. side-show.)
    Often with defining word: cf. peep-show, puppet-show, raree-show.

1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1792) IV. 198 All were obliged to pay treble prices, on account of the unprecedented novelty of the shew [a lion and dog in one cage]. 1825 Hone Every-Day Bk. I. 1175 Atkin's Menagerie..one of the largest shows in the fair. Ibid. 1185 Another penny show: ‘The Wonderful Children on the Tight Rope, and Dancing Horse’. 1835 Dickens Sk. Boz, Greenwich Fair, The travelling menageries, or to speak more intelligibly, the ‘Wild-beast shows’. 1855 Barnum Life x. (Low) 252 We concluded to take a tour through the ‘penny shows’, the vans of which lined one side of the [race-]course. 1862 ‘Artemus Ward’ His Bk. (1865) Note before title-p., At the Door of the Tent. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Show is about to commence. 1886 W. Somerset Word-bk., Show, an exhibition of any kind; a performance, whether circus, wild-beast show, wax-work, or theatricals.

    b. The booth or building (with its contents).

1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xix, At his heels went Thomas Codlin, bearing the show as usual. Ibid., Short was..knocking the characters in the fury of the combat against the sides of the show. 1874 T. Frost Old Showmen 22 The practice of displaying in front of the shows large pictures of the wonderful feats, or curious natural objects, to be seen within.

    15. a. Applied to any kind of public display; e.g. an exhibition of pictures, a dramatic performance in a theatre; colloq. or jocularly to a fashionable ceremony or gathering, a speech-making, etc.

1830 J. Constable Let. (1965) III. 26, I have laid by my Wood, to enable me to pay some old and just debts, to Smith, to Woodburn, & others—which I shall have ready for the ‘show’ I hope. 1844 J. Cowell Thirty Years passed among Players xvii. 42/2, I consented to become his guest for a week, and ‘show my show’ in the town-hall. 1863 Sala in Temple Bar VIII. 278 It has been my vocation to see shows. First nights of new pieces; private views of picture exhibitions;..royal marriages and funerals;..layings of first stones; openings of railways. 1886 Stage Gossip 69 The theatre itself is invariably in slang parlance, alluded to as the ‘show’. 1896 N.Y. Dramatic News 4 July 12/1 [The circus] well merited its title of the ‘greatest show on earth’. 1907 H. Wyndham Flare of Footlights viii, ‘I hate matinées’, exclaimed Miss Assherton. ‘Giving two shows in one day quite tires me out’. 1912 W. Owen Let. 23 June (1967) 142 Methought I was treating you to a Show at a Picture Palace! 1935 J. Reith Diary 4 July (1975) 121 This was a very good show, interesting people, plenty of room, and plenty to eat. 1963 Listener 31 Jan. 210/1 That these painters were not a handful of isolated figures was made plain by the Whitechapel show devoted to recent Australian painting. This show..was, however eclectic it may have been, still an intelligent reflection of one man's taste. 1978 Lancashire Life Sept. 89/2 My favourite Blackpool show? Unhesitatingly, I nominate No, No, Nanette.

    b. Mil. slang. An engagement, battle, or raid; a war. Also big show, a major campaign. Cf. do n.¹ 2 b.

1892 Kipling Barrack-Room Ballads 59 What was the end of all the show, Johnnie, Johnnie? Ask my Colonel, for I don't know. 1914 R. Brooke Let. Dec. (1968) 644, I entered this show (Sub-lieutenant R. Brooke R.N.D. at your service) in September and by the end of the month was in a trench. 1915 T. E. Lawrence Let. 29 Aug. (1938) 199 This Dardanelles show lags all the time... The big show must go wrong or go right first. 1918 E. A. Mackintosh War, the Liberator iv. 129 ‘Oh, God,’ he whispered, ‘don't let us get casualties before we start the show.’ 1924 J. Galsworthy White Monkey ii. xi. 205, I should very much dislike being blown up..but I should still more dislike missing the next show. 1939 A. B. Callaway With Packs & Rifles ii. 20 With less than a month's training I was on my way across to the big show. 1942 R.A.F. Jrnl. 18 Apr. 10 At the end of the show I flew to Mosul. 1944 V. G. Garvin tr. Gary's Forest of Anger xxvi. 110 The convoy was strongly guarded... Scenting ‘a big show’, the three Zborowski brothers spent their nights prowling round the lorries. 1977 Daily Tel. 15 Mar. 12/6 He was there in '98, I think, for the Malakand show. 1980 P. Fitzgerald Human Voices. ix. 135 The pale pink smoke of London's fires..reminded him of a quiet sector of the line in the last show.

    c. In radio and television, a light entertainment programme; more generally in the U.S., any kind of broadcast.

1932, etc. [see radio show s.v. radio n. 7]. 1937 Amer. Speech XII. 101 Show is used to designate nearly every type of broadcast. 1949 [see service n.1 31 c]. 1956 B. Holiday Lady sings Blues (1973) xv. 124 If you're an American citizen and unless you go to bed early these nights, you're liable to see me on the late-late show. 1964 Mrs L. B. Johnson White House Diary 22 Apr. (1970) 116 In a few minutes I got a call from Lyndon's office saying, ‘Turn on TV and watch the David Brinkley Show.’ 1972 Listener 22 Jan. 124/3 If we do get breakfast television, the chat show will flourish.

    16. a. slang (fig. use of senses 14, 15). A matter or affair, a ‘concern’. Also with qualifying word (esp. good, bad). Also, a body or collection of persons. to boss or run the show: to assume chief management or control. to run one's own show: to be independent. to give the show away: to blab; to betray the deficiencies, pretentiousness, etc. of an affair in which a number of persons are concerned.

1797 H. W. Foster Coquette 138 The show is over, as we yankees say; and the girl is my own. 1851 N. Kingsley Diary 29 Jan. (1914) 171 He got 500 dollars for his share, which takeing the show as we now have it I think was a plenty. 1879 L. Troubridge Life amongst Troubridges (1966) 152 Tanner [the maid] was tweaked up in a cap as our ‘Aunt’. She rather gave the show away by dashing forward to open the cab door! 1889 Daily News 9 Feb. 6/1 The U.B. endeavoured..to control the funds and operations of the League—to ‘boss the show’, as Sir Charles suggested, making use of a familiar American expression. 1898 M. Davitt Life & Progr. Australia i. iv. 15 Compared with the working and machinery at ‘Bayley's Reward’ [a mine] the Lord Fingall concern appeared a very small show. 1899 Delannoy Nineteen Thous. Pounds xxx, I didn't want to give the show away. 1900 W. S. Churchill in Morning Post 12 Apr. 5/7 ‘Yes,’ replied the subaltern laconically, ‘shoulder smashed up.’ We expressed our sympathy. ‘Oh, that's all right; good show wasn't it? The men are awfully pleased.’ 1901 Essex Weekly Herald 8 Mar. 3/3, I do not wish to be tried by this court, because I have never had any pity from this show. 1922 ‘R. Crompton’ More William ix. 156 Life was a rotten show. 1927 E. M. Forster Aspects of Novel viii. 205 James..has..a very short list of characters... For so fine a novelist it is a poor show. 1932 Sun (Baltimore) 23 Sept. 1/5 Farm representatives viewed the decision as another victory for the banker element which they fear intends to ‘run the show’. 1946 L. P. Hartley Sixth Heaven iv. 95 You made a mistake..to absent yourself from the ‘rag’—it was a really good show. 1955 Times 15 Aug. 6/1 They wanted to be independent... The Sudanese people wanted to ‘run their own show’. 1957 J. Braine Room at Top vii. 61 The accountants and the engineers run the show no matter who's in charge. 1959 Listener 5 Nov. 766/1 He..came back with the bowl empty, which was taken by his mother as a jolly good show. 1969 New Yorker 12 Apr. 115 The astronauts..like to think they are running their own show. 1974 D. Seaman Bomb that could Lip-Read xi. 92 It's a bad show, Dickie... Why didn't you go straight in to clobber those terrorists?

    b. bad (also poor) show!: an expression of dismay or disapprobation. Opp. good show! = an excellent performance or production! fine! splendid!

1916 H. Yoxall Jrnl. 18 Sept. in Fashion of Life (1966) iv. 37 They intend to do nothing to provide us with battle hdqrs. Bad show. 1936 ‘M. Innes’ Death at President's Lodgings x. 187 ‘Poor show,’ said Horace. ‘Distinctly where we step off,’ said Mike. 1940 ‘Gun Buster’ Return via Dunkirk ii. xvi. 195 The Battle of All Time is about to commence. Probably shan't get back. Jolly good show, chaps. Jolly good show. 1956 J. Symons Paper Chase iv. 12 Transport definitely not laid on to time. Bad show. 1963 N. Marsh Dead Water (1964) v. 123 ‘Bad show,’ he said. ‘Apologise. Not myself.’

    c. the show must go on: things (orig. a circus or theatrical peformance) must carry on as planned despite difficulty, calamity, etc.; to get the show on the road: to get started (colloq.); to steal the show: see steal v.¹ 4 h; to stop the show: see stop v. 23 c.

1941 E. Holding Speak of Devil xvii. 281 The hotel business is like the theatre. No matter what happens, the show must go on. 1943 Amer. N. & Q. Jan. 159/1 The Show Must Go On..is still primarily a circus slogan, although it can certainly be regarded as an axiom, in a lesser degree, of any form of show business, including the theatre. 1957 J. Blish Fallen Star ii. vii. 88 They came trooping into the thawing shack... ‘That's enough,’ Jayne said at last. ‘Let's get this show on the road.’ 1957 ‘Gypsy Rose Lee’ Gypsy xxxiv. 309 Gertrude Lawrence, with a true show-must-go-on attitude had accepted my degree in absentia. 1961 L. Mumford City in History viii. 231 For the Roman the whole routine of the spectacle became a compulsive one: The show must go on! 1973 M. Russell Double Hit ix. 67 Now we can start to make plans... There's no harm in getting the show on the road. 1978 R. Hill Pinch of Snuff i. 10 How'd she look at the end of the film? I've heard that the show must go on, but this is ridiculous.

    d. all over the show = all over the shop s.v. shop n. 8 c.

1947 ‘A. P. Gaskell’ Big Game 24 Is he very shickered? Yes; he's all over the show. 1980 M. Drabble Middle Ground 171 The district's not what it was... Arabs, all over the show. Shocking, isn't it?

    III. Technical uses.
    17. Med. A sanguino-serous discharge from the vagina prior to labour. Also, the first appearance of a menstrual flow. (Syd. Soc. Lex.)

1753 R. Russell Diss. Sea Water 385, I was called to a young Lady, who had a Shew of the Menses at twelve Years old. 1822–29 Good's Study Med. (ed. 3) V. 40 The mucous fluid, secreted in the beginning of labour..and hence vulgarly denominated show, or appearance. 1893 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 30 Sept. 55 A lady aged 42 had never seen any vaginal ‘show’ for thirteen years.

    18. a. Piquet. (See quot. 1889.)

1744 Hoyle Piquet i. 6 But if on the contrary you are to be younger-hand, and are eighty-six to fifty or sixty, never regard the losing two or three Points for the gaining of one, because that Point brings you within your Shew. 1889 H. Jones (‘Cavendish’) Piquet (ed. 6) 132 The Show, elder hand (when small cards are counted in play), is twenty-eight; younger hand is fourteen. That is, it is about an even chance the elder hand will score twenty-eight or more, and that the younger hand will score fourteen or more.

    b. U.S. Horse-racing. The third place in a race. Freq. attrib.

1925 W. L. Comfort in Sat. Even. Post 11 July 13/3 He had broken into show money this afternoon. Yesterday he had won and placed. Ibid. 124/4, I wouldn't back Black Ball right now for any better than place or show. 1944 Sun (Baltimore) 14 Apr. 14/1 Rougemont won by three lengths... So Bluesteel took the place and Sea fight, the favorite, got the show award. 1964 A. Wykes Gambling viii. 197 There is no ‘show’ betting in England. 1975 Cleveland (Ohio) Plain Dealer 23 Mar. 13-c/2 Hail to Springtime was moved into the show spot and Top of the Morn dropped to fourth.

    19. Mining. A lambent blue flame appearing above the ordinary flame of a candle or lamp when fire-damp is present.

1851 Greenwell Coal-trade Terms, Northumb. & Durh. s.v. 1872 J. H. Collins Mining & Quarrying 112.

    IV. attrib. and Comb.
    20. Simple attrib. (= of or belonging to a show or exhibition), as show-bench, show field, show-ground, show jump, show-keeper, show-line, show-ring, show saddle, show-world.

1715 Lond. Gaz. No. 5329/3 Shew-keepers of Wild Beasts. 1843 W. Dyott Diary Sept. (1907) II. 374 Both attended in the show field, and afterwards at the dinner. 1846 Amer. Agriculturist V. 333/1 The show-ground was located in the heart of the village. 1865 ‘C. Bede’ Rook's Gard. 190 Much the same sort of thing existed in the Show world. 1870 H. H. Dixon Saddle & Sirloin iv. 89 When they met in the show-ring. 1888 Times 10 Oct. 5/5 Barnaby [a bloodhound] is better known on the show benches. 1901 Munsey's Mag. XXIV. 567/1 Have you been in the show-line ever since you left home. 1930 J. L. M. Barrett Pract. Jumping ix. 94 Blinks..admitted to having had a whole set of show-jumps..made by the local carpenter. 1931 Times Lit. Suppl. 29 Oct. 840/4 The chapter on The Hound, with its warning against over-estimating the importance of success in the show⁓ring. 1955 Times 4 July 5/7 The showground, extending over 166 acres,..will be fully occupied by the trade stands..and the livestock lines, judging rings, and the pavilions. 1963 E. H. Edwards Saddlery xvii. 126 The English show saddle, confined in its use purely to the show ring, approximates more nearly to the dressage saddle than any other type, but its design is directed at displaying the horse's conformation rather than giving the rider any assistance in showing off the action of the horse. 1973 Country Life 8 Mar. 654/2 Large assortment of B.S.J.A. Show Jumps. All brightly painted and bolted construction. 1976 T. Heald Let Sleeping Dogs Die v. 100 ‘Judging of the Dog-lovers’ League Dog of the Year will commence..in the main ring.’.. The crowds were already gathered round the main show-ring. 1977 Western Morning News 1 Sept. 8/5 This year a vast number of traders throughout the area will be displaying their goods in the large marquee on the showfield.

    21. attrib. or quasi-adj. a. In sense ‘characterized by show or display’, ‘fitted for display or striking effect’, ‘that is made a show or exhibition of’, ‘chosen or put forward as a choice or effective specimen’. Of animals and plants: Bred or grown for display or for ‘points’.

1573 G. Harvey Letter-bk. (Camden) 48 As he is marvelously given to be popular for a show matter. 1614 B. Jonson Barth. Fair iii. ii, A delicate show-pig. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas v. i. ¶1 There is a show article or two for public exhibition. 1819 Keats Otho i. ii. 167 For, without thee, this day I might have been A show-monster about the streets of Prague. 1826 Macaulay in Trevelyan Life (1880) I. 148 He [Sydney Smith] is not one of those show-talkers who reserve all their good things for special occasions. 1831 E. J. Trelawny Adv. Younger Son I. 131 My horse and I became a shew-lion to the sober natives. 1849 Bentley's Misc. Dec. 583 The Flâneur gazed for the first time upon this famed show-stream of the Continent. a 1855 C. Brontë Emma in Cornhill Mag. (1860) I. 480 To judge whether the acquisition now offered was likely to answer well as a show-pupil. 1861 Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. i, This quadrangle is the show part of the college. 1862 [F. W. Robinson] Owen ii. iv, Owen was the show-boy now when visitors came. 1869 S. R. Hole Bk. about Roses ix. 138 Paul Ricaut..is not reliable as a show Rose, expanding rapidly..on his arrival at the exhibition. 1886 S. Scott Sheep-farming 163 So long as the show sheep pay their own way they do very well. 1901 Edin. Rev. Oct. 433 That tendency to display, fostered by the vanity of parents, which is the hall-mark of what has been, in late years, designated the show-child. 1915 W. B. Yeats Reveries 173 My friend, now in his last year at school, was a show boy, and had beaten all Ireland again and again. 1941 F. Thompson Over to Candleford xiii. 200 She was the show pupil of the school; good at every subject. 1950 Blunden John Keats 33 His friends..cultivated him with vague praise, as though they were raising the most scented, gorgeous show-rose ever exhibited. 1952 A. G. L. Hellyer Sanders' Encycl. Gardening (ed. 22) 159 Sweet Williams, Show-type—smooth-edged petals with dark centres. 1961 C. H. D. Todd Popular Whippet iv. 54 The exact type of brood bitch for which I was seeking in preference to the most brilliant show-type bitch.

    b. In sense ‘merely spectacular’, ‘existing only in appearance’, ‘pretended’, ‘unreal’.

a 1734 North Life Dudley North (1744) 65 marg. He had a Shew-Audience before the Grand Signor. 1819 Shelley Lett. Pr. Wks. 1888 II. 285 Hobhouse, Eustace, and Forsyth, will tell all the shew-knowledge about it. 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain i. ix, It would be hollow, show-goodness.

    22. Special comb.: show band, a jazz band which performs with verve and theatrical extravagance; show-bill, a bill or placard announcing a show, public sale, etc.; show-board, a sign-board; show-bottle, a large glass bottle containing coloured liquid, to make a show in a druggist's window; so show-carboy; show-card, a card containing a tradesman's advertisement of goods, etc.; also, a card on which patterns are exhibited in a shop; show-cart, a cart forming part of a travelling menagerie, etc.; † show-cloth, a cloth hung up in front of a booth and painted with a highly-coloured representation of the show within; † show-ern [OE. ærn place, house], a show-house (an interpretation of ‘Ephratah’ in Micah v. 2); † show-fellow, a strolling player; show flat, a flat decorated and furnished for exhibition as an advertisement, usu. for others of similar construction (cf. show house 2 b); show-folk, showmen and others connected with a show; † show-hall, a theatre; show-people = show-folk; show piece, an item of work presented for exhibition or display; freq. transf.; show-shop, (a) a contemptuous term for a show or exhibition; (b) a shop in which an attractive display is made, esp. of cheap goods; † show-stone, a crystal used as a magic mirror for gazing in; show-stopper, an item (esp. a song or other performance) in a show that wins so much applause as to bring the show to a temporary stop; also fig.; hence show-stopping a.; Show-Sunday, (a) the Sunday before the Oxford Commemoration, on the evening of which a kind of University parade used to be held in the Broad Walk of Christ Church; (b) among artists, the Sunday before ‘sending-in day’; † show-token, a sign, portent; † show-trade, a trade in cheap and showy goods; show trial, a judicial trial attended by great publicity: usu. used with specific reference to a prejudged trial of political dissidents by a Communist government; show tune, a popular tune from a light musical entertainment; show-window orig. U.S., a shop-window in which goods are displayed; also fig.; show-woman, a woman who conducts a show (cf. showman), or who is employed to display goods, etc.; also, a female guide in a show-place; show wood, the exposed wood of the frame of an upholstered chair (chiefly attrib.); † show-worthy a., ? deserving of display, fine or splendid in appearance; show-yard, an enclosure in which live stock, machinery, and other large objects are exhibited; also attrib. See also show biz, -boat, -box, -business, -glass, house, showman, show-place, -room, etc.

1927 Melody Maker Aug. 759/2 (heading) South African *show band in England. 1933 Fortune Aug. 48/1 Ellington has never compromised with the public taste for..‘show bands’ combining music with scenic effects, low comedy, and flag drills. 1952 B. Ulanov Hist. Jazz in Amer. (1958) xiv. 162 The Cotton Pickers were best known as a show band. 1970 J. Wainwright Freeze thy Blood less Coldly 55 He could be corner-man in any showband in the country.

1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iii. vi. §23 The following *show-bill [announcing an exhibition of sword-play]. 1837 Hawthorne Twice-told T. (1851) I. xvi. 248 The immense showbill of a wandering caravan.

1806 Sporting Mag. XXVII. 42 Lines painted on a *shewboard lately put up in Barrack-street in the city of Norwich. 1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 5263 Show-boards of all kinds.

1848 Mech. Mag. May 454/2 Improvements in..*show-cards. 1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 5289 Samples of coloured labels, show cards, &c.

1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. xxiii. (1907) II. 181 Polito's (late Pidcock's) *show⁓carts.

1758 H. Walpole Let. to G. Montagu 24 Oct., I am a little sorry that my preface, like the *show-cloth to a sight, entertained you more than the bears that it invited you in to see. 1825 Hone Every-Day Bk. I. 1172, I..examined the promising show-cloths and inscriptions on each show.

c 1200 Ormin 7025 Effrata bitacneþþ uss *Shæwerrne onn Ennglissh spæche.

1756 Life E. T. Bates 38 Intimate with a vagabond *Shew-fellow.

1962 Guardian 7 Feb. 8/2 Those *show flats where colour seems to have been interpreted on a liquorice all-sorts plan. 1974 Country Life 14 Mar. 602/1 The first five-storey block of 20 flats is expected to be completed at the end of the year... A show flat is expected to be ready in the summer.

1755 C. Charke Life vii. 252 The very chairmen had something to say, by way of exultation, on the misfortunes of the poor *show-folk, as they impudently and ignorantly termed them. 1819 F. Moore (title) The Age of Intellect, or, clerical Showfolk and wonderful Layfolk. 1856 R. W. Procter Barber's Shop xviii. (1883) 177 Barnum, whose book of confessions is sufficient to make one doubt the veracity of all show-folk.

1562 Turner Herbal ii. 51 The theues war brought into the great theatre or *shewhall agayn.

1853 Diogenes 9 Apr. 159/2 Here is a description of the President's inauguration costume, to which we call the attention of Tussaud, Springthorpe, and other waxwork *show-people. 1954 Encounter Feb. 63/2 Arthur Helliwell..treats it [sc. society] as a kind of demi-monde, dominated by show⁓people and speculators. 1962 ‘K. Orvis’ Damned & Destroyed xii. 82 I'm showpeople. Well, anyway, I was once. I headlined in vaudeville for fifteen years.

1838 Dickens Sk. Young Gentlemen 52 He likes to place implicit reliance upon the play-bills when he goes to see a *show-piece. 1885 [W. H. White] Mark Rutherford's Deliv. i. (1892) 14 They evidently considered the prayer merely as an elocutionary show-piece. 1928 W. de la Mare Come Hither (ed. 2) 773 The sampler..the show⁓pieces on canvas or linen of a little girl (aged six or upwards) to prove her skill and diligence with the needle. 1941 Blunden Thomas Hardy iv. 84 The poet John Clare..had become a sort of show-piece in a lunatic asylum. 1978 G. Household Last Two Weeks Georges Rivac ii. 23 He looked suspiciously international..a show piece to impress the foreigner.

1818 Cobbett Pol. Reg. XXXIII. 431 How the fellow's *show-shop would be crowded! 1848 Kingsley Alton Locke x, The public ran daily more and more to the cheap show-shops. 1850 Bigsby Shoe & Canoe I. 109 Some of the show-shops [of Montreal] rival those of London in their plate-glass windows.

a 1608 Dee Relat. Spir. i. (1659) 6, I had..set the *shew-stone with the mystery in it on the Table. 1693 I. Mather Cases Consc. 66 How often have they..been known..to shew in a Glass or in a Shew-stone persons absent?

1926 Variety 18 Aug. 63/1 The first half [of the programme] held two *show-stoppers in the Dixie Four..who stopped the show..with their ‘itch’ dance finish, and Dave Apollon and Co., who stopped it, closing the first half. 1945 [see gasser 2]. 1953 N. Coward Noël Coward Song Bk. 76 ‘The Stately Homes of England’ was what is colloquially known as a ‘show stopper’. 1960 Sunday Express 18 Dec. 14/3 A show-stopper of shimmering silver lamé. 1967 T. Stoppard Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead ii. 50 Rosencrantz: I can't remember how I did it. Guildenstern: It probably comes natural to you. Rosencrantz: Yes, I've got a show-stopper there. 1981 Times Lit. Suppl. 20 Feb. 202/3 Despite the inclusion of..other operatic items, and the Handel and Mendelssohn oratio arias which Lind loved to sing, the real show-stoppers were the ‘Bird Song’, [etc.].

1962 Times 7 Dec. 8/7 There are few *show-stopping solos of any length. 1975 Listener 2 Jan. 25/3 The song..is one of the few heart-seizing, if not show-stopping, moments in Western theatre.

1854 ‘C. Bede’ Verdant Green ii. xii, In the evening they attended the customary ‘*Show Sunday’ promenade in Christ Church Broad Walk. 1886 C. E. Pascoe Lond. To-day xiv. (ed. 3) 128 ‘Show-Sunday’ is the day on which artists who exhibit, or hope to exhibit, at the Royal Academy and elsewhere, receive their friends and friends' friends at their studios.

1535 Coverdale Ezek. xii. 6 I haue made the a *shewtoken vnto the house of Israel. 1597 J. Payne Royal Exch. Pref. 7 Beinge suche a shew token to patrons of benefices.

1848 Kingsley Alton Locke x, Our young employer intended to enlarge his establishment, for the purpose of commencing business in the ‘*show-trade’.

1937 E. Lyons Assignment in Utopia (1938) iii. x. 370 The Ramzin affair..in my mind..figures as the classic example of the demonstration trial—those attributes which set the *show trial off from ordinary trials..seem..sharply delineated. Ibid. 373 Sitmin..was the one whose young son had demanded his death... This was by now a standardized piece of business in important show trials. 1949 Koestler Promise & Fulfilment i. vii. 87 The Administration resorted to the eccentric and rather un-British expedient of staging several show-trials. 1966 M. Woodhouse Tree Frog viii. 63 The Russians had U2 sorted out... They were able to go to town on it, show trial, the lot. 1978 P. P. Read Train Robbers viii. 145 Because it was a show trial..many of the best barristers in England were retained. 1981 Ann. Reg. 1980 302 Jiang Qing constantly harangued witnesses and shouted defiance at the court—to such effect that she was forcibly removed on two occasions. Thus the trial was not equivalent to the Stalinist show trials of the 1950s.

1962 J. Heller Catch-22 vii. 59 He was a short-legged, wide-shouldered, smiling young soul who whistled bouncy *show tunes continuously. 1977 New Yorker 10 Oct. 177/1 The Brown band..opened up its offensive with one of those breezy, quickstep middle⁓period Jule Styne show tunes.

1826 ‘N. Nondescript’ The ― I. iii. 30 Have you not noticed a *shew window full of pictures, and a sign with the words ‘visiting cards for sale’? 1855 ‘Q. K. P. Doesticks’ Doesticks, what he Says xiv. 118 Those..ladies who used to perform their perpetual gyrations in the show-windows. 1880 Cable Grandissimes xlviii, A nameless fellow in the throng..dropped two bricks through the glass of the show-window. 1905 Whitman in Westm. Gaz. 16 Oct. 4/2 Dr. Japp's intellectual stock-in-trade would have gone far to fill up the mental show-window of half a dozen ‘popular’ reputations. 1914 ‘B. M. Bower’ Flying U Ranch 33 Where do you keep him when he ain't in the show window? 1958 S. Spender Engaged in Writing 125 The glass-making was a show-window of Venice. 1965 Navy News Apr. Suppl. 2/5 Yeovilton is the most suitable and convenient venue for show window air displays throughout the country.

1820 M. Edgeworth Let. 26 Dec. (1971) 231 A holy family by Leonardo da Vinci which the woman who shewed the pictures told us was by Vincy Ma'am... A cabinet brought from Italy by the 3d Duke of Beaufort as said *shew-woman always carefully told us. 1825 T. Hook Sayings Ser. ii. Man of Many Fr. I. 181 Look at..my Lady Frances, a shew-woman—like Madam Catharina, with watchwork under her hoop! 1825 Hone Every-day Bk. I. 1194 It [the head] looked sufficiently terrific, when the lady show-woman put the candle in at the neck. 1848 Mrs. Gaskell Mary Barton I. iii. 37 Her beauty would have made her desirable as a show-woman. 1877 G. M. Hopkins Let. 15 Aug. in Further Lett. (1956) 147 Mary's photographs are of Snowdon, Cadair Idris, and Valley Crucis Abbey: in the foreground of the last is the show⁓woman Miss Lloyd in her green shade, a quaint old character. 1898 Daily News 7 May 8/4 The beautiful girls who are secured as show-women by the West-end shops. 1919 V. Woolf Night & Day xxiv. 335 While Katharine went on steadily with her duties as show⁓woman, Rodney examined intently a row of little drawings.

1909 Wells & Hooper Mod. Cabinet Wk. 368 *Show wood, applied to stuffed chairs with part of the frame showing. 1921 F. Palmer Pract. Upholstering xii. 39 In some show-wood frames the whole surface is polished. 1958 House & Garden Mar. 5 The showwood legs can be polished to any shade. 1976 Canadian Collector (Toronto) Sept.–Oct. 16/2 The show-wood in this piece [sc. a sofa] is mahogany and the frame is birch.

1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 283 b marg., What triumphe is honourable and *shewe woorthie.

1840 John Bull 19 July 346/2 Nearly 1,500 l., it is said, were taken at the *Show-yard in the course of the day. 1847 Illustr. Lond. News 10 July 27/2 The Race-course, which is set apart as a show-yard for the exhibition of prize-cattle. 1877 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. 533 His handsome chestnut colt..seems to have a deal of Showyard mettle in him.

    
    

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     ▸ show pony n. (a) a pony of a standard suitable for exhibiting in a show or competition; (b) fig. (orig. Austral.) a person who is overly concerned with his or her appearance; an ostentatious or showy person.

1870 W. H. Beever Successful Farming 59 When the *show pony's hock swells, and a favourite ewe dies strangled in a hurdle. 1964 J. Pollard High Mark 19 Don't become one of those football ‘show ponies’ who wear more bandages than some of those race horses we see. 1998 S. Dingo Dingo (Paperback ed.) xix. 241 It was his own mob he was concerned with now, discovering early that a showpony could be seen, could stand out, and he could become, almost, one of the big boys. 2006 Yorks. Post (Nexis) 14 July Charismatic 128cm show pony, Charn Kingfisher, won a strong class and stood reserve champion.

▪ II. show, n.² Sc. and dial.
    Also shoe, shough, shove, etc. (see Eng. Dial. Dict.).
    [var. of shove n.²]
    = shove n.²

1765 Museum Rust. IV. 459 When the flax is sufficiently watered, it feels soft to the grip, and the harle parts easily with the boon or show. 1827 H. Steuart Planter's G. (1828) 494 ‘Shows’, as the refuse of a Flaxmill is usually called, in this part of the kingdom. 1900 Scotsman 23 Oct. (E.D.D.), The shows being now removed, the heckling process followed.

▪ III. show, v.
    (ʃəʊ)
    Pa. tense showed (ʃəʊd). pa. pple. shown (ʃəʊn). Forms: α. 1 scéawian, 2–3 sceawen, sheawen, 2–4 sewe(n, 2–6 shewen, 3 scæwen, scewen, seawen, scheauwen, (imp. scheau), Ormin shæwenn, 3–4 scheawe(n, schewi, -y, scewi, ssewe, -i, -y, sceu, (cheu), 3–5 scheu, sheu(e, 3–6 schew(e, (3–5 -en, 4–5 -yn), 3–8 shewe, 4 sschewe, sseawe, -y, scewe, (imp. scheuȝ), 5 sheew, 6 sheaw, sew(e, 4– shew. β. Chiefly north. and Sc. 2–4 scawe(n, 3–4 scau, scawin, shauwe, 3–6 scaw, shawe, schaw(e, (3–5 -in), 3–7 schau, (3–4 -en, 7 schaue), 5–6 saw(e (?), 5–7 shau, 3– shaw. γ. 3 seowen, showen, ssow, 3–4 schowi, 4–6 schow(e, 5 schou- 5, 7 scho, 5–7 showe, 6 sho(e, sheowe, 6, 9 dial. shoo, 5– show. pa. tense. α. In regular forms 1 scéawede, -ode, etc.; 3– shewed, 5– showed; also 2 sceaude, 2–3 sheude, 3–4 schued, 6 schuyd, shoyd. β. Strong forms Sc. 4–6 scheu, schew(e, 6 sheu, shewe, 6– (also Eng. dial.) shew (ʃuː). pa. pple. α. In regular forms 1 ᵹescéawod, etc.; 4– shewed, 5– showed; also 5 shued, -yd. β. strong forms 3 Ormin shawenn, 3–4 schaun, scaun, scawin, 4–6 shawen, -in, 5–6 schau-, schawen, -in, -yn, 6 shaune, s(c)hawne, (erron. schaw); 4–5 shene (?), 5–6 s(c)hewin, 6–7 shewen, 7– shewn; 6 schowin, shoun, 6–7 showen, showne, 7 schowne, 7– shown.
    [A common WGer. weak verb: OE. scéawian = OFris. skawia, skowia, schoia, skua (WFris. skoaije, skôgje, skouje), OS. skawon (MLG. schowen), MDu. scauwen, schauwen (mod.Da. schouwen), OHG. scauwôn, scouwôn (MHG. schouwen, schawen, mod.G. schauen):—WGer. *skauwôjan, f. OTeut. *skau- to see, look, whence Goth. skaun-s beautiful (see sheen a.); other alleged cognates in Gothic are spurious. In all the continental WGer. langs., as in OE., the verb means ‘to look at’; the sudden change in Eng. (c 1200) from this to the causative sense ‘to cause to see, exhibit, manifest’, is difficult to account for. (The existence of the causative sense in OE. is not really proved by the rare áre ᵹescéawian to show mercy, grið scéawian to grant a safe-conduct, as these uses may be explained as developed from the sense ‘to look out, provide’.) From early ME. the verb has had a strong conjugation (after know v., etc.) by the side of the original weak conjugation; in the pa. tense this survives only in dialects; but for the pa. pple. shown is now the usual form; the older showed is still sometimes used in the perfect tenses active (chiefly with material object), but in the passive it is obs. exc. as a deliberate archaism. The spelling shew, prevalent in the 18th c. and not uncommon in the first half of the 19th c., is now obs. exc. in legal documents. It represents the obsolete pronunciation (indicated by rhymes like view, true down to c 1700) normally descending from the OE. scéaw- with falling diphthong. The present pronunciation, to which the present spelling corresponds, represents an OE. (? dialectal) sceāw- with a rising diphthong.
    The OTeut. root *skau- represents an Indogermanic *sqou- found in Gr. θυο-σκό(ϝ)ος ‘one who attends to sacrifices’, a priest; cognates without the initial s are Skr. kavi wise man, Gr. κοεῖν to feel, observe, L. cavēre to take precautions.]
    † I. 1. a. trans. To look at, gaze upon, behold, view; to inspect, review; to reconnoitre, spy (a land, etc.); to look at mentally, consider, examine; to ‘see’, read, find (in a book). Obs.
    Also (OE.) to look with favour upon, have respect to.

Beowulf 132 Syðþan hie þæs laðan last sceawedon. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xii. 27 Sceawiaþ þa lilian hu hi wexað. O.E. Chron. an. 1086, Se cyng ferde to Winceastre & sceawode þæt madme hus. c 1200 Ormin 7032, & sen & shæwenn þurrh innsihht..All þatt tatt erþliȝ mann maȝȝ sen Þurrh clennsedd sawless eȝhe. c 1205 Lay. 4815 He scawede þa wuodes & þa wildernes. c 1300 Havelok 2136 Þe knithes þouth of hem god gamen, Hem forto shewe, and loken to.

    † b. intr. To look or gaze upon. Obs.

c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2661 Quiles he seweden him up-on.

    † c. (for) to show used epexegetically after an adj. = to look upon, to behold, to see. Obs.

a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 601 Þe fax on his faire hede was ferly to schawe. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1550 Þat were shene for to shew & of shap noble.

    II. To cause or allow to be seen or looked at.
    * Uses implying intentional action.
    2. a. trans. To bring forward or display (an object) in order that it may be looked at; to expose or exhibit to view. Const. to or dative of person.

a 1225 Ancr. R. 292 Hold hit [sc. the cross] up aȝean þe ueonde and scheau hit him witterliche. c 1275 Passion of our Lord 610 in O.E. Misc. 54 He schewede heom his honde and so he dude his fet. a 1300 Cursor M. 19889 And quen þis wessel thris was scaun, Again it was til heuen draun. a 1400 Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. 491 Whon he was schewed to þe siht. 1563–83 Foxe A. & M. 1398/2 Sir John..sheweth the people the empty chalice. 1656 Cowley Mistress, Gazers i, To shew such stores, and nothing grant, Is to enrage and vex my want. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) V. 210 A partridge is shewn him, and he is then ordered to lie down. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. iii. xii, Show me your tongue—let me feel your pulse. 1888 ‘J. S. Winter’ Bootle's Childr. i, Taking the pups indoors..to show little missie.

    † b. With advs. to show forth: to put forth or bring out to be seen. to show up: to hold up to view. Obs.

c 1320 Sir Tristr. 3097 Þi finger forþ þou schawe. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lx. 209, I pray you shewe hym forth that ye speke of. 1563–83 Foxe A. & M. 1938/2 Thirdly, that the Priest sheweth vp an Idoll at masse.

    c. refl. To present oneself to a person or persons in order to be looked at. (Cf. sense 10.)

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 71 Ite et ostendite uos sacerdotibus..goð and sheweð ȝiu ȝiuwer prest. a 1225 Ancr. R. 250 Efter his ariste, þo he com & scheawede him. 1340 Ayenb. 13 He aros uram dyaþe to liue and sseawede him to his deciples. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 29 Aug. 1695, The King went a progresse into the North, to shew himselfe to the people against the elections. 1760–2 Goldsm. Cit. W. v, Yesterday the new king shewed himself to his subjects.

    d. With complement (rarely † acc. and inf.): To display in a (specified) condition or with a (specified) appearance. Also refl. † Also, to cause to appear or look (such and such).

c 1275 Serving Christ 13 in O.E. Misc. 91 I-seon vre louerd crist..Showen his wunden so blodi to-bleden. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 833 And sschewede his child hol and sound. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvii. (Vincencius) 73 Þai schew þaim fere starkare & glad, Þane quhen to presone he þaim had. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour (1906) 167 One ought not to coynte her body for to shewe it small and better shapen. 1584 R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. xiii. xxxiii. (1886) 282 Then..he would shew you everie leafe to be painted with birds. 1882 Century Mag. I. 589 She showed herself much more lavishly..bugled and bangled than the Americans.

    e. To hold up or place (a light) where it can be seen (as a signal, to point out the way in the dark, etc.). Also fig.

13.. Cursor M. 18196 (Gött.) And þu þaim scheus sua selcuth light? a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxi. 212, I pray you..make no fyer, nor shewe no lyght. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 173 Schawand till vs thy perfite lycht. 1831 Scott Ct. Rob. xxiii, The Prince of Otranto had orders to show certain lights..so as to indicate danger. 1838 Dickens O. Twist xliv, ‘Light him down’ said Sikes,..‘show him a light’. 1895 Law Times Rep. LXXIII. 623/1 Neither did Judges..stand by the line and show a light, as it was his duty to do.

    f. To exhibit (a sign, token). lit. and fig. Hence, in Biblical language, to exhibit (a ‘sign’ or marvel), to work (a miracle); but cf. sense 3. † Also, to make (a dream or vision) appear to a person.

c 1200 Ormin 15586 Whatt takenn shæwesst tu till uss Þatt dost tuss þise dedess? [Cf. John ii. 18]. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1573 Þe cwen..cleopede to hire Porphire,..& seide him a sweuen Þet hire wes ischawet. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1349 On fele maners scho scheweid hem syngne. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11791 Two meruellis on mold maynly were shewid. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxi. 246, I haue sayd nothynge but he shal shew tokens that my sayenge is trewe. 1526 Tindale Mark xiii. 22 For falce christes shall aryse..And shall shewe [δώσουσι] myracles and wonders. 1526 ― Acts vii. 36 Shewynge [ποιήσας] wonders and signes in Egipte. 1535 Coverdale Neh. ix. 10 And hast..shewed tokens and wonders [1611 And shewedst signes and wonders] vpon Pharao.

    g. To display (goods, wares, for sale or in an exhibition).

1340 Ayenb. 44 Þe vifte manere is, oþer þing zelle þanne me heþ y-sseawed beuore. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1581 There were stallis by the strete..Werkmen into won, and þaire wares shewe. 1517 Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.) II. 120 For his licens there to shewe his seid heryng & sparlyng to sell. 1884 Stationers' & Booksellers' Jrnl. 3/1 A goodly quantity of soft and silky curl-papers, neatly shown. Mod. Advt., Messrs. A. B. are showing to-day a large stock of new fancy goods.

    h. To display, hang out, unfurl (a banner, ensign, etc.). † Also with out, up. to show the flag: see flag n.⁴ 1 c.

c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 474 Ilka souerane his ensenye shewin has thair. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. II. 108 The kings bluddie sark vp tha schawe for thair ansinȝie. 1604 Shakes. Oth. i. i. 157, I must show out a Flag and signe of Loue. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 36 The Colours the Fort shewed us, was St. George's Flag. 1815 Scott Guy M. x, The chase then shewed Hamburgh colours, and returned the fire.

    i. To exhibit (a spectacle, some interesting object) for the amusement of the public; to make a show of. † Also (cf. sense 3), to perform (a stage-play, tricks, etc.).

? a 1500 Mankind 78 in Macro Plays 4 Xall I breke my neke to schow yow sporte? 1574 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Eliz. (1908) 238 My Lord Chamberlens players did show the history Phedrastus. 1575 Gascoigne Kenelworth Castle Wks. 1910 II. 95 At which time there wer fireworks shewed upon the water. 1619 in W. Kelly Notices illustr. Drama (1865) 254 Item, given to the Playors that shewed Etalion Motion xs. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 392 This Calenter..diverted us in our way, by..shewing tricks with a half-pike. 1701 Evelyn Diary Apr., A Dutch boy..was carried about by his parents to shewe. 1726 Swift Gulliver ii. ii, I was shown ten times a-day, to the wonder and satisfaction of all people. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xvi, ‘Good!’ said the old man, venturing to touch one of the puppets,.. ‘Are you going to shew 'em to-night?’ 1862 ‘Artemus Ward’ His Bk. (1865) 28, I showed my show in Uticky.

    j. To exhibit threateningly. Hence jocularly, to make the slightest possible application of.

1833 Reg. Instr. Cavalry i. 75 Great care must be taken not to press the horse too suddenly up to the snaffle by showing the whip. 1839 Hood Lost Heir 67 As for hair, tho' it's red it's the most nicest hair when I've time to just show it the comb.

    k. to show one's hand: to display one's cards face upwards; fig. to allow one's plans or intentions to be known.

1879 Meredith Egoist xxxvi, Her intrepid lead had shown her hand to the colonel. 1887 Rider Haggard Jess xiii, What are you driving at, Frank Muller? You don't show me your hand like this for nothing. 1895 Bookman Oct. 23/1 He was perilously near showing his whole hand to the other side.

    l. To exhibit (an animal) in a show or display.

1854 Poultry Chron. I. 572/2 The best [birds] should never be shown more than once a month. 1976 T. Heald Let Sleeping Dogs Die i. 25 The best dog I ever had..went to a Count in Florence. He paid {pstlg}3000 and never showed him.

    m. To display (a slide, film, etc.) on a screen by projection for public viewing. Also absol. for pass.

1911 [see film n. 3 c]. 1931 B. Brown Talking Pictures xii. 290 Some of the first talking pictures to be shown in this country were from Fox Movietone News. 1942 E. Waugh Put out More Flags iii. 219 A film was showing in the Ministry theatre: it dealt with otter-hunting. 1964 G. McDonald Running Scared (1977) i. ii. 22 It was Sunday and there would be a new film showing. 1976 Oxf. Compan. Film 118/2 Local councils..gradually accepted the principle that a film passed by the Board could be shown without fear of prosecution under the 1909 Act.

    n. absol. Of an artist, fashion designer, etc.: to hold an exhibition of one's work.

1912 R. Fry Let. (1972) I. 357 I'm delighted that [Augustus] John wants to show. 1958 Listener 28 Aug. 310/3 Mr. Pooley, a young painter showing at the Hammersmith Gallery..is worth watching. 1960 Guardian 21 July 7/7 The autumn collections of the Incorporated Society of London Fashion Designers began yesterday... John Cavanagh and Lachasse showed on this the first of the three days. 1972 E. Lucie-Smith in Cox & Dyson 20th-Cent. Mind ii. xiv. 486 Other American artists who showed there included Robert Motherwell. 1977 Times 24 Feb. 8/1 Emanuel Ungaro was showing in the hotel.

    † 3. To perform openly (a deed, feat, exploit); to put in overt act (something declared or purposed).

1382 Wyclif John x. 32, I haue schewid to ȝou manye goode werkis of my fadir. 1474 Caxton Chesse iv. viii. (1883) 184 That thou darst not doo and shewe that thou saist. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 22 If thou wylt correcte eny man shewe it not by vyolence. 1581 A. Hall Iliad v. 91 Wherefore some worthy deede of Armes, it you behooues to shoe. 1737 Whiston Josephus, Hist. i. iv. §5 Alexander's mercenaries shewed the greatest exploits, both in soul and body.

    4. To produce or submit for inspection (something in one's possession). a. To produce (a legal document, etc.) for official inspection; to exhibit (something) in proof that one possesses it.

a 1325 MS. Rawl. B. 520 lf. 64 Þe desturbour sal aperen bi fore Justises ant sewen his chartre. 1426 Cov. Leet Bk. 106, I neuer relesed ne made dede except oon shued afore all the seyd wurthy men. 1509 Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.) I. 199 They desire that the seid abbot may schow his charterys & Evidence. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 68 Wee rode a mile..to the village Treviso, where the Dutchmen shewed a pasport. 1662 in Extr. St. Papers rel. Friends (1911) Ser. ii. 145 Hugh Tickell hauing the letter shown beleiues it to be the hand of John Dixon. 1866 Chamb. Encycl. VIII. 91/1 (Railways) A call by the guard to ‘shew tickets’ previous to starting.

    b. to have (something) to show for (one's labour, expenditure, etc.): to be able to exhibit as a result.

1727 Gay Begg. Op. i. vii, I have this watch and other visible marks of his favour to show for it. 1826 Scott Jrnl. 6 Sept., Here is a fine spate of work—a day diddled away, and nothing to show for it. 1853 Lytton My Novel III. x. xxiv. 217 The Great Commoner had, indeed, ‘something to show’ for the money he had disdained and squandered. 1976 J. R. L. Anderson Redundancy Pay i. 11 He had been earning quite a lot of money, but had nothing real to show for it... They spent his salary as it came in.

    † c. To produce for inspection with a view to military service; to muster. In Cock-fighting, to make an array of (cocks) on either side. Obs.

1655 Fuller Ch. Hist. VIII. 39 The Queen priviledged them from shewing their Horses with the Laytie; yet so as they should muster them up for the defence of the Land under Captains of their own choosing. 1716 Lond. Gaz. No. 5436/4 There will..be 31 Cocks shewed of a side. 1730 Cheny Hist. List Horse-matches, etc. 167 Mr. Ruston fought Mr. Newton showing 21 Cocks aside for 2 Guineas a Battle.

    d. fig. (Often of things quasi-personified). To (be able to) present to (physical or mental) view.

1611 Second Maiden's Tragedy 623 (Malone Soc.) The only enemye that my life can showe me. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 21 Nov. 1679, Such an hospitable costume and splendid magistrature dos no city in the world shew. 1705 Addison Italy, Monaco 13 Perhaps there is no House in Europe that can show a longer Line of Heroes. 1802 Wordsw. Misc. Sonn., Composed upon Westm. Bridge, Earth has not anything to show more fair. 1805–6 Cary Dante's Inf. xxix. 119 Sure not France herself Can show a tribe so frivolous and vain. 1886 C. E. Pascoe Lond. Today xxxi. (ed. 3) 288 White's can show a record of more than a century.

    e. to show up: To hand up (a school-exercise, etc.) for inspection by a teacher or examiner.

1803 Pic Nic No. 14 (1806) II. 247 Shewing up our exercises to the Assistant of the form. 1912 Marg. F. Moore Two Sel. Bibliogr. Pref. 16 Students are encouraged to show up exercises in the transcription and extension of facsimiles.

    † 5. a. To bring or put forward for some purpose or use; to present (an object) to a person in order that he may take it or use it. to show water: to produce a fee. Obs.

a 1300 K. Horn 1461 Harpe he gan schewe. a 1300 Cursor M. 12405 To me þou scau þar-of þe tan ende for to drau And þou þe toþur. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 587 Scheuȝ me myn hache, and I schal note hit to-day. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 90 Þen sayde Crist: ‘Schew me þy hond’; and toke hur hond, and put hit ynto hys syde. 1632 Massinger Maid of Honour i. i, If you have a suite, shew water, I am blinde else.

    † b. To fire (a broadside). Const. to. Obs.

1624 Massinger Renegado v. viii, As a farewell they shewed a broad side to vs.

    † c. Naut. to show canvas: to spread sail to the wind.

1874 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. iv. 57. 12 [denotes] Hurricane To which she could show No canvas.

    6. To let (a person) read or examine (a book, writing); to bring (it) to his notice.

1677 H. Savile in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 43 The Grantham verses you sent me I shewd Sir Robert Carr, and asked him if he made them. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xlv, I showed Lord Steyne your pamphlet on Malt. 1855 Browning Grammarian's Funeral 48 ‘What's in the scroll’, quoth he, ‘thou keepest furled? Shew me their shaping, Theirs, who most studied man, the bard and sage.’

    7. To represent in sculpture or graphic art. Also in film.

1660 H. Bloome Archit. C j, 10 parts, shewed on the right side. 1700 T. Brown Amusem. Ser. & Com. 105 This Picture does not shew them to Advantage. 1854 in Orr's Circ. Sci., Org. Nat. I. 254 The saltatorial modification of the..skeleton is here shewn in that of..Macropus elegans. 1904 R. C. Jebb Bacchylides (Proc. Brit. Acad.) 6 Here is the ship..but the painter could not also show us Minos throwing the ring, or Theseus diving. 1905 L. Whibley Companion Grk. Studies iv. §3. 247 The western frieze shows the horsemen preparing. 1963 Movie June 29/1 The early part of the film shows their reactions to the death of Toni's wife.

    8. a. To display deliberately or ostentatiously in order to attract notice or win admiration.

1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) I. 221 Or to be sene, and to showe his gardyd cote. 1693 Humours Town 114 A Throng of Fools, of both Sexes, walking up and down to shew their new Cloaths. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xliii, She curled her hair and showed her shoulders at him, as much as to say, Did ye ever see such jet ringlets and such a complexion? 1853 Kingsley Hypatia v, Taking care to show the most lovely white heel and ankle.

    b. to show off: to display ostentatiously.

1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk., Christmas Day, He turned over the leaves..with something of a flourish; possibly to show off an enormous seal-ring. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair l, To show off before them his new wealth and splendour. 1879 M. Pattison Milton 192 An opportunity for an author to show off his powers of writing.

    ** Uses in which the being seen is an unintended or incidental result.
    9. To allow (a part of the body) to be seen. a. to show one's head, face, etc.: to allow oneself to be seen, make an appearance. Also jocularly to show one's nose.

a 1225 Ancr. R. 90 Scheau þi neb to me. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 915 He..schawde us his nebscheft & weolc..bimong worldliche men. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 2 As ȝung Awrora..In orient schew hir visage paile. 1551 T. Wilson Logic (1580) 49 This manne..durst not once for his life shewe his hedde. 1635 Long Meg of Westminster xviii. (1816) 30 He was ashamed to shew his face in the streetes. 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche vi. clx, No Weed presum'd to shew its roitish face On this fair stage. 1746 Francis tr. Hor., Sat. ii. vii. 18 Where a clean slave would blush to show his face. 1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. x, My aunt had so frightened him, that he never once showed his nose in the place all the time we lived there. 1843 Carlyle Past & Pr. ii. x, Jew and Christian creditors, pouncing on him..wherever he showed face. 1888 ‘J. S. Winter’ Bootle's Childr. vii, Let him show his ugly mug anywhere hereabouts, and I'll grease all the steps that he may break 'is neck.

    † b. To display (a countenance, looks, etc.) of a specified sort. to show a red pair of cheeks: to blush. to show tears: to weep. Obs.

c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 2098 In what disees þat he war stadd He shewed ay countenance gladd. c 1470 Henry Wallace vi. 57 Fortoune him schawit hyr fygowrt doubill face. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 249 Cæsar shewed a redde paire of chekes. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 17 Fewe..spake of these two gentlemen, but thei shewed teares. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. vii, I alwaies shewed an assured countenance. 1590 Greene Never too late ii. (1600) O 3, She shewes thee kinde lookes.

    c. to show (a person) one's heels, a clean or fair pair of heels: to flee (from him). (Cf. F. montrer les talons.) Also transf. of a ship. Similarly † to show (a person) the back, etc.
    to show (one) the cold shoulder: see cold shoulder n.

a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 928 Philip..Braidis on his blonke toward þe burȝe & þaim þe bak shewis. 1523 [see heel n.1 3 c]. 1546 J. Heywood Prov. ii. vii. (1867) 64 Except hir maide shewe a fayre paire of heeles. 1595 Hasleton's Trav. in Arb. Garner VIII. 394 Shewing them a clean pair of heels, [I] took my way over the mountains. 1675 Machiavelli's Prince (1883) 256 He should..show them a light pair of heels. 1863 Speke Source Nile xii. 334 Her majesty..rose from her seat, and showing her broad stern to the company, walked straight away. 1887 Flor. Marryat Driven to Bay xi, She..would have held her own with most ships, and shown her heels to not a few.

    d. to show the cloven foot (hoof): to betray something diabolic or sinister in one's character or motives.

1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggarty Diam. x, It was especially about my wife's fortune that Mr. B. showed his cloven foot. 1885 [see hoof n. 1 b]. 1896 Pall Mall Mag. Mar. 399 Mrs. Mac showed me the cloven foot just now.

    e. to show foot: ? to get ready for. U.S.

1825 J. Neal Bro. Jonathan I. 269 Carter..began to ‘show foot’ for another, and more active demonstration.

    f. to show a leg: see leg n. 2 a.
    10. refl. a. To appear, make an appearance, allow oneself to be seen. Cf. 2 c.

a 1300 Cursor M. 17039 Þar scheud he him for mighti godd. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 3429 Bathe Besan & Anabras..baldly þam shawis. ? a 1550 Freiris of Berwik 529 in Dunbar's Poems 302 And vnto ws thow schaw the oppinlie. 1589 Bigges Summarie Drake's W. Ind. Voy. 37 Our men..seeing no man of the Spaniards to shew them selues, aboorded the Spanish barkes. 1824 L. M. Hawkins Mem. II. 197 note, The Sovereign of Great Britain has only to show himself to be adored. 1859 Tennyson Enid 240 They..climb'd upon a fair and even ridge, And show'd themselves against the sky.

    b. Of a thing: To be or become visible.

1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. xl. 198 The flowers of these strange plantes doo shewe them selues commonly in June. 1856 Miss Warner Hills Shatemuc iv, Here and there..the lighter green of an oak showed itself.

    11. a. Of plants, the seasons, etc.: To bring forth to view, display (fruit, flower, etc.).

c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 1711 Floures schewen her borioun. Ibid. 8657 Mirie is June, þat scheweþ flour. 1820 Trans. Hortic. Soc. (1822) IV. 393 The suckers of inferior strength will not shew fruit in the same season. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 674 As soon as the plants have shown the third leaf.

    b. Of animals or plants: To display (their colours, beauties, etc.).

1667 Milton P.L. vii. 406 Part..sporting with quick glance Show to the Sun their wav'd coats dropt with Gold. 1742 Gray Spring 29 Some shew their gayly-gilded trim Quick-glancing to the sun. 1788 Picken Poems 55 How fine to range owre meadows wide, Whan flowers their charms are shawan!

    c. Of a luminous body: To display (its light).

14.. Lydg. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903) 73 Charbunclys, rubeys..Shew in derknes lyght. 1544 Betham Precepts War i. cci. I vij b, The lyghte, and also..the false vmbrage whych the Moone doth shewe fourthe. 1752 Young Brothers i. i, Like a bold star, that shews its fires by day. 1818 Scott Br. Lamm. xxxv. The sun..showed its broad disk above the eastern sea.

    12. a. Of a thing: To be the means of displaying, revealing to sight, or allowing to be seen; to serve to exhibit or indicate.

1398 Trevisa Barth De P.R. x. iv. (1495) 375 In shewynge of himself fyre sheweth other thynges that ben presente. 1614 Gorges Lucan ix. 386 Thy sight the North⁓starre vndergoes, And Vrsa Maior to thee showes. 1790 Burns Tam o' Shanter 126 Coffins stood round, like open presses, That shaw'd the dead in their last dresses. 1859 Habits Gd. Society iv. 169 Very short petticoats, only not showing the knees. 1897 M. Pemberton Queen of Jesters iii. 104 For one short instant a window showed him the city.

    b. to show off, show out: to display in relief or by contrast; to set off, enhance in appearance. rare.

c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 470 For, as þei seyen, þer staat wolde perische but ȝif siche richesse shewide it out. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. v. iii. 21, I like your silence, it the more shewes-off Your wonder. 1874 H. H. Cole Catal. Ind. Art S. Kens. Mus. 230 The very roughness of the embroidery..shows out the intention of the design.

    c. To be in such a state or position as to allow (something) to be seen. to show up (rare): to expose (something underneath). to show daylight: to have holes or openings through which light can be seen.

1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xx, His coat..was white at the seams, and his buttons showed the copper. 1850 Habits Gd. Society v. 199 The man who ‘shows daylight’ between himself and his saddle is a bad rider. 1871 Chamb. Jrnl. 28 Jan. 49 While it [the material] is equally suitable for tropical wear, it does not show the traces of soil so soon. 1874 H. H. Cole Catal. Ind. Art S. Kens. Mus. App. 289 Then cutting out certain parts of the pattern which showed up the copper as a ground. Mod. This colour shows the dirt more than the other.

    13. a. To have visibly (some external feature or mark); to have (a part of itself) in a position exposed to view.

a 1585 Polwart Flyting w. Montgomerie 570 His shaven shoulders shawes the marks, no dout, Of teugh tarladders. 1611 Cotgr., Perpins..stones made iust as thicke as a wall, and shewing their smoothed ends on either side thereof. a 1700 Evelyn Diary Sept. 1646, The Alps..shewing their aspiring tops. 1822 J. Parkinson Outl. Oryctol. 227 This shell, though round, shows five angles. 1883 Besant Captains' Room ii, Her planks show signs of age. 1890 Goldfields of Victoria 18 This run of stone..shows payable gold. 1907 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (ed. 6) 101 Sometimes bromide prints..show stains.

    b. Of a list, record, a recording instrument: To be found on inspection to indicate.

1866 Livingstone Last Jrnls. (1874) I. 162 The barometers had shown no difference of level from about 1800 feet above the sea. 1883 Stubbs' Merc. Gaz. 8 Nov. 982/2 Grey shirtings show a falling-off of over 90,000 yards. 1910 ‘Mark Rutherford’ Pages fr. Jrnl. (ed. 2) 329 His watch showed 7 30 p.m. Mod. The thermometer showed ten degrees below zero.

    III. To guide another person's sight to (an object).
    14. a. To enable a person to discover or identify (a visible object) by pointing to it, or by conducting him to a place where it can be seen. Also, to direct a person's observation to the various parts or features of (a country, town, building, or any complex object). † to show with one's finger (= L. monstrare digito): to point to.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 41 Seodðan he him sceaude an ouen on burninde fure. a 1300 Cursor M. 12979 Þat warlau..bar him forth..Apon þe heist fell he faand, And þare he scaud him þe land. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 59 Þanne þei caire wiþ þe king hur cauus to schewe. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 289 His buriel is ȝit i-schewed in þe est side of Kent. c 1450 Merlin xxi. 371 Nascien.. seide ‘..lo, hym yonde..’, and shewde hym with his fynger. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 10 Quhen he schewe with his fyngir the sone of God in figure of a lambe. 1569 T. Underdown Heliodorus vii. 94 b, Therefore folowe this woman (shewing them Cibele). 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. vii. 18 b, The Pilot..did then foorthwith shew them the water. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V., iv. ii. 11, I pray you shew my youth old Shylockes house. 1632 Lithgow Trav. i. 24 They shew me the Crub or Stall where he was borne. 1705 Addison Italy, Brescia 60 A Stranger is always shown the Tomb of Pope Lucius. a 1734 R. North Autobiog. Lives 1890 III. 171 I walked them all over the house to shew the rooms and buildings. 1781 Cowper Hope 221 Conscience..Shows, with a pointing finger..A pale procession of past sinful joys. 1814 Scott Diary 19 Aug. in Lockhart (1837) III. vi. 217 Mr. Anderson showed me the spot where the Norwegian monarch, Haco, moored his fleet. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxxix, I can show you her room, Mum, and the press in the housekeeper's room.

    b. fig.

1818 Scott Br. Lamm. ii, The adage ‘Shew me the man, and I will shew you the law’, became as prevalent as it was scandalous. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair xxviii, Show me a cavalry chief like him now that Murat is gone. a 1869 M. Arnold Urania v, Yet show her once, ye heavenly Powers, One of some worthier race than ours!

    c. With mixture of sense (cf. 22 c): To point out or indicate a place where (etc.).

c 1450 Merlin xxi. 371 We praye yow that ye will vs shewen where he is that we may hym knowen. 1742 Gray Eton 58 Ah, shew them where in ambush stand To seize their prey the murth'rous band! 1877 Talmage Serm. 337 God shows them where to fall.

    15. a. to show (one) the way: to guide a person in a required direction, by leading or accompanying him, or by giving him instructions; also fig. In Racing and Hunting, to lead; to show the way from, to draw away from, get before (in a race).

1530 Palsgr. 703/1, I shewe him the way. 1796 F. Burney Camilla IV. 285 ‘O never mind shewing me the way’..and [he] sallied into the apartment. 1863 W. C. Baldwin Afr. Hunting vi. 195 The captain..would send no one with us to show the road. 1869 M. Arnold Culture & Anarchy 192 So, too, one who wants to be a painter or a poet cannot help loving and admiring the great painters or poets who have gone before him and shown him the way. 1871 Legrand Camb. Freshm. 251 No time was lost about the start; Mr. Pokyr, Mr. Fitzfoodel, and several other high⁓flyers showing the way, which at first lay through a grass field. 1887 Daily News 1 Dec. 2/4 Merry Maiden, at a good pace, showed the way from Ballot Box and Great Paul. 1891 ‘J. S. Winter’ Lumley xii, Show me the way upstairs.

    b. to show (one) the door: to order (a person) to leave the room or house; to turn out of doors.

1778 F. Burney Evelina xxi, I shall make bold to show you the door. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas i. v. (Rtldg.) 12 Don Rodrigo..showed the goddess of my devotions the outside of the door. 1866 W. Collins Armadale v. iii, In your place, I should have shown him the door.

    16. a. (With inverted const.) To guide or conduct (a person) to, into a particular place, room in a house, etc., over or through the rooms of a house.

a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 4049 And þar þai schewid him in schurrys, to schellis & to caues. 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. Wks. 1904 II. 309 Go, maid, shewe him to the farther chamber. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iv. ii. 19 Come good sir, will you shew me to this house. 1748 Smollett Rod. Rand. li. (1760) II. 139 The grim janitor..shewed me into a parlour. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair ii, You may be sure that she showed Rebecca over every room of the house. 1891 E. Peacock N. Brendon I. 287 She was shown into Mr. Stutting's private room. 1891 ‘J. S. Winter’ Lumley xiii, So as to be ready when Mrs. Hope should require showing to her carriage.

    b. to show up, show upstairs: to conduct (a person) upstairs. to show out: to take (a person) to the exit door; to turn out of doors. to show in: to bring (a person) into a house or room. to show round: to show (a person) over a place, show the ‘sights’.

1693 Congreve Old Bach. ii. iv, Aram. [to Footman] Be ready to shew 'em up. 1777 Sheridan Sch. Scand. iv. ii, Oh, gentlemen, I beg pardon for not showing you out. 1843 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. I. 274 As there was no fire in the room below, they had to be shown up to the library. 1874 Aldrich Prudence Palfrey xv. 287 Wants to see me?.. Show him in, Fanny. a 1885 ‘H. Conway’ Living or Dead xi, Now, sir, listen before I ring for you to be shown out. 1896 Kipling Seven Seas 42 M‘Andrews’ Hymn, I showed him round last week.

    IV. To exhibit or manifest by outward signs.
    17. To exhibit, allow to be seen (some inward quality, feeling, condition, etc.) by one's outward appearance; occas. said of the appearance. Also with obj. clause. Also to show a sign or signs (of, that..).

c 1275 Passion of our Lord 618 in O.E. Misc. 54 Vre louerd nom and et þer-of to-uore heom euervychone, And sewede þat he wes a-ryse myd fleysse and myd bone. 1597 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 265 My hew so furth schew so The dolour of my woundis. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 119 The Colt that for a Stallion is design'd, By sure Presages shows his generous Kind. 1831 Scott Cast. Dang. xx, Douglas and De Walton..began to show some signs that their human bodies were feeling the effect of the dreadful exertion. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola x, He showed all the outward signs of a mind at ease. 1884 W. Black Jud. Shakespeare xxxiv, On the awakening she might show that the crisis was over.

    18. a. To display (a quality, condition, feeling, etc.) by one's action or behaviour; to give proof of possessing. Also to show a sign or signs (of).

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 49 Þurh his mannisnesse, and ðurh ðare michele eadmodnesse ðe he mid hire sceawede. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 9318 Vor vre prowesse we mote nede ssewe to day ywis. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 367 The Bruyss folk full hardely Schawyt thar gret chewalry. c 1550 Lyndesay Tragedie 80, I schew my Lordlye Lyberalitie, In Banketting, playng at cartis, and Dyse. 1575 Gascoigne Philomene 85 She shewed great skil, for tunes of unisone. c 1643 Ld. Herbert Autobiog. (1824) 60 A man's Wit is best shewed in his Answer. 1675 Covel in Early Voy. Levant (Hakl. Soc.) 216 There was..a middle-sized squad fellow, who shew a vast strength in tossing about weights. 1751 Jortin Serm. (1771) I. i. 6 Every behaviour which shews inhumanity. 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. xi. 642 In the preliminary work of accumulating the facts, great energy was shown. 1886 C. E. Pascoe Lond. To-day xl. (ed. 3) 337 A lady's maid will frequently show far better taste than her mistress. 1887 Field 5 Nov. 718/3 Rogers..showed a great turn of speed.

    † b. with forth. Obs.

c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 424 Shewe forth here nowe your crafte. 1565 J. Phillips Patient Grissell 138 (Malone Soc.) Now Polliticke perswasion shoe forth thy skyll.

    c. With object-clause: To make it plain in regard to oneself (that).

a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1036 In þis an þing he schawde..þet he wes soð godd. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 311 To..schewe in dede þat þei seken more profit and savynge of Cristene soulis þanne here owene wynnynge or worschipe. a 1600 Montgomerie Misc. P. xxxiv. 6 Becaus no signe is shaune That ȝe held me ȝour aune. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 26 He would..shew he had one Ounce better Blood than his Leader. 1766 Pitt Sp. in Walpole Mem. Geo. III (1845) II. 267, I have done all in my power to shew I hate distinctions. Mod. In both transactions he showed he was no fool.

    † d. To make a fictitious show of. Obs.

c 1200 Ormin 393 Forrþi þatt teȝȝ forr idell ȝellp..Shæwenn biforenn oþre menn Godnesse & rihhtwisnesse. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6294 He..asailede edmond vaste Mid al þe strengþe þat he miȝte & ssewede more þer to.

    19. refl. a. With compl. (adj. or n., also with for prefixed) or inf.: To exhibit oneself in a (specified) light or character; to manifest or exemplify a (specified) quality, etc., in one's behaviour.

c 1200 Ormin 16520, 16522 Forr Godd himm shæweþþ towarrd te Aȝȝ o þatt illke wise, Þatt tu þe shæwesst towarrd himm I þohht, i word, i dede. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 161 Shewe your selfe an aide, a defendour of the Church, and god shall reward you. c 1590 Marlowe Jew of Malta ii. iii. 797 Now will I shew my selfe to haue more of the Serpent Then the Doue. 1615 R. Cocks Diary (Hakl. Soc.) I. 31 He shewed hym selfe a fermer frend to Zanzaber..then to me. a 1657 Sir J. Balfour Ann. Scot. Hist. Wks. 1825 II. 170 By this acte of his he shew himselue to be a stoute souldier, rather then a wysse generall. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. iv. vii, Anxious to show himself Patriot. 1873 Black Pr. Thule xix. 302 He had shown himself..inconsiderate to the verge of cruelty. 1888 ‘J. S. Winter’ Bootle's Childr. xi, Mrs. Halliday had shown herself to possess a dainty taste.

    † b. To profess (truly or falsely) to be... Obs.

c 1200 Vices & Virtues 15 Oðer ic habbe ibien ðanne ic habbe me i-sceawed. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 194 Al þay þat schoth hom holy to man syght, forto be praysyd of hom. 1484 Caxton Fables of æsop iii. ii, Euery body oughte to shewe hym self suche as he is.

    c. Of a quality, condition, etc.: To manifest itself; to become evident by signs or tokens.

1340 Ayenb. 21 Þis zenne him sseaweþ ine uele maneres. a 1768 Secker Serm. ix. (1770) I. 214 To hinder any other Distemper..from shewing itself by its common Effects. 1831 Scott Ct. Rob. ix, The same bold and arrogant disposition showed itself in occasional quarrels with their unwilling hosts. 1864 Bryce Holy Rom. Emp. xv. (1875) 242 The tendency was one which shewed itself in various..directions.

    20. a. To display (kindness, mercy, courtesy, malice, neglect, etc.) to a person by one's acts or behaviour; to accord or grant (favour, honour, grace; a courtesy, † pleasure, etc.). Const. to, towards († till, † on) or dative.

[a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 1581 Þær he freondlice on his aᵹenum fæder are ne wolde ᵹesceawian.] c 1200 Ormin 1041 Propitiari, Þatt maȝȝ onn Ennglissh nemmnedd ben Millcenn, & shæwenn are. c 1275 Orison of our Lord 52 in O.E. Misc. 140 Þe muchel þoleburne[sse]..Þat þu schawedest mon-kunne. a 1300 Cursor M. 14303 Mikel luue he hir sceud þar. c 1330 Spec. Gy de Warw. 263 Merci nele he shewe non. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. v. (1885) 119 To shew rigoure þer as fauour awght to be shewid. 1526 Tindale Acts xxiv. 27 Felix willynge to shewe the Iewes a pleasure. 1535 Coverdale Ecclus. x. 10 And though the phisician shewe his helpe neuer so longe. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. iv. 15 But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew [rimes with crew, knew]. 1653 Holcroft Procopius, Pers. Wars i. 5 That onely is pure gratitude, which is shewen to the dead. 1667 Pepys Diary 9 Oct., He is troubled that my wife shows my sister no countenance. 1772 Johnson 21 Mar. in Boswell, Else we should have shewn his lady more civilities. 1799 Nelson 23 Sept. in Nicolas Disp. VII. p. cxcii, I feel much for the neglect showed him. 1870 Rogers Hist. Gleanings Ser. ii. 20 The king shows favour to the Lollards.

    † b. Similarly, to show (one) a sign, token, semblance of. Also, to show the fruits of. Obs.

a 1450 Knt. de la Tour 76 She shewed hym..signes and semblauntz of fals loue. 1565 J. Phillip Patient Grissell 273 (Malone Soc.) Shewyng to you the fruites of true obedience.

    † c. occas. To inflict (shame, a judgement).

1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 311 And gar me schaw thy antecessouris schame. a 1700 Dryden Life Lucian (1711) 16 To deter others from Satyrizing the new Dogma's of Christianity by the Judgment shown on Lucian.

    † d. To set or offer (an example) in one's own person. Also of a thing. Obs.

1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1027 Yhit þe bodys of þe world in þair kynde, Shewes us forbisens to haf in mynde, How we suld serve God in our kynde here, Als þai do þar. 1405 Bidding Prayer in Lay Folks Mass Bk. 64 So for to reuel the popil, and swilk ensaumpil for to tak or scheu thaim. 1484 Caxton Fables of Avian iii, He that wylle teche other ought to shewe good ensample.

    † 21. a. To put forth, exert (one's power, strength). Also of things. Const on, against. Obs.

1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xi. ii. (1495) 385 Whan the wynde fyndyth obstacle and lette thenne he showuyth his myghte the stronger. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 47 The Romaynis..schew sik power agaynis thame that thai slewe thair king. 1575 Gascoigne Kenelworth Castle Wks. 1910 II. 106 Syr Bruse shewing a great power upon the land. c 1595 Capt. Wyatt R. Dudley's Voy. W. Ind. (Hakl. Soc.) 14 That night the winde began to shew his force on us, drivinge us back againe to Palma.

    b. To offer, attempt (resistance). to show fight: to display pugnacity or readiness to fight. (Properly of animals.)

1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 185 The Ionas men..without cause beat the miserable Blacks that shewed no resistance. 1827 P. Hawker Diary (1893) I. 315 The..birds showed such fight against the dogs. 1863 [see fight n. 4]. 1907 J. H. Patterson Man-Eaters of Tsavo xvii. 189 The second rhino..showed considerable fight as we attempted to approach its fallen comrade.

    V. To make known by statement or argument.
    22. a. To point out, reveal, make known; to make evident or clear, explain, expound. In ME. to confess (one's sins). Also with forth, out.

c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 73 And for þat gult he solde his sunnes at srifte sheawen. c 1200 Ormin 1114, & nu icc wile shæwenn ȝuw All þatt whatt itt bitacneþþ. c 1230 Hali Meid. 3 (Titus MS.) As þu scheawest forð al þat god þunckeð, & helest al þat bitter bale þat ter lið under. a 1300 Cursor M. 6662 A tabernacle all for to dight, Þarof he sceud þam þe slight. Ibid. 27293 [To] sceu his sinnes vte. 14.. Tundale's Vis. 212 (Wagner) Thy wykked thoughtes in thy breste Woldest þou never schewe to þe preste. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xc. 32 Gif thow can nocht schaw furth thi synnes perqueir. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iv. i. 93 O let me liue, And all the secrets of our campe Ile shew. 1666 C'tess of Warwick Diary 28 Aug., When I had showed before God all my trouble. 1725 Pope Odyss. x. 363 The sovereign plant he drew,..And shew'd its nature, and its wond'rous pow'r. 1772 J. H. Moore Pract. Navig. (1794) 116 All traverses are worked in the manner shown above. 1832 W. Palmer Orig. Liturg. I. 141 No material difference can be shewn between them. 1861 Paley æschylus (ed. 2) Pers. 706 note, To show the syntax more clearly, Πέρσαις ὡς θεὸς has been marked off by commas.

indirect passive. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxx. 179 It is necessary they be shewed the evill consequences of false Judgment. 1779–81 Johnson L.P., Gray ¶4 In a short time many were content to be shown beauties which they could not see.

    b. said of a thing.

c 1200 Ormin 6645 Affterr þatt uss Latin boc Þurrh haliȝ lare shæweþþ. 13.. Cursor M. 1162 (Gött.) Caym sau his sinne was knaued, And þat þe erde had it schauede. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 566 The endentur till him gaf he, That soune schawyt the iniquite. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 223 b, The same beeyng unfolded & spred abrode shewed some high mysticall mater. a 1586 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxvii. 6 The suythe sall schaw it selffe out to þair schame. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 27 June 1653, Monsieur Roupel sent me a small phial of his aurum potabile, with a letter shewing the way of administering it. Ibid. 20 May 1688, The consequences of which a little time will shew. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 15 Words are aggregated in a manner which fails to show their relation to one another.

    c. With a relative pron. or adv. and clause. (Often with indirect obj. of the person informed.) Said also of a thing.

c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 49 Nu we sculen heow sceawen hwilc hit is heom for to heren [etc.]. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 2121 Ich schal schawin hu mi sweord bite i þi swire. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. 32/104 To tweie Monekus at Ierusalem him-sulf he cam bi niȝhte And schewede heom ȝware is heued lay. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 6437 Bot first I wille shew whare es helle. 1382 Wyclif Acts ix. 16, I schal schewe to him, how manye thingis it bihoueth him for to suffre for my name. 1471 Caxton Recuyell (Sommer) 296 The seconde booke, where shall be shewyd how troye was reedyfyed. 1697 J. Lewis Mem. Dk. Glocester (1789) 38 He was then very busy shewing how he would have me build a ship. 1736 Butler Anal. i. i. Wks. 1874 I. 30 Reason does not at all shew us, in what state death naturally leaves us. 1779 Mirror No. 1 (1787) I. 4 Time alone can show whether I be qualified for the task I have undertaken. 1839 Thackeray Fatal Boots Jan., The following letter from mamma to a friend..will pretty well show you what a poor foolish creature she was. 1848 ― Van. Fair vi, Suppose we had shown how Lord Joseph Sedley fell in love.

    d. With indirect obj.: To inform, instruct, teach (a person) how to or † to (do something). Also with ellipsis of the inf.

1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 61 Thow lytill bill,..Thow schaw thame till Beleue in Christ. 1607 Shakes. Timon iii. iv. 17 Ile shew you how t'obserue a strange euent. c 1643 Ld. Herbert Autobiog. (1824) 42 Those parts of Logic which..show men to distinguish betwixt truth and falsehood. 1697 J. Lewis Mem. Dk. Glocester (1789) 78 She asked who shewed him? he said, Lewis. The princess ordered Mrs. Wanley to tell me not to shew him any more, as she intended to have him taught regularly. 1916 ‘B. M. Bower’ Phantom Herd vii. 112 As to the break I made in getting those boys out here, you'll have to show me—that's all. 1976 J. E. Taylor in L. Wing Early Childhood Autism (ed. 2) viii. 209 He [sc. the autistic child] should not be shown how to perform, since this strengthens his dependence on other people.

    † e. To teach (a lesson). [Cf. F. montrer.]

13.. Cursor M. 6861 (Gött.) Suilk was þe lessun and þe lare..Þat vr lauerd scheud to moysen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. x. 36 Litel is he loued þat suche a lessoun scheweth. 1576 Gascoigne Droomme of Doomes Day Wks. 1910 II. 226 One night sheweth and teacheth carefulnesse to another.

    † f. to show one's mind: to reveal one's thought or intention; to express one's opinion or judgement. Also with forth. Obs.

c 1520 Skelton Magnyf. 1646 To shewe you my mynde I wolde haue the lesse fere. 1562 Turner Herbal ii. (1568) 54 Now will I shew yow my mynde whych of all these myntes semeth unto me to be it. 1565 J. Phillip Patient Grissell 75 (Malone Soc.) Speake on my knightly knightes, eche one shewe forth your mind. 1611 Bible Lev. xxiv. 12 That the minde of the Lord might bee shewed them.

    g. Used as an expression of defiance or self-assertion. With ellipsis of obj. clause.

1894 Mrs. H. Ward Marcella I. i. ii. 28 ‘They shall see—I will show them!’ she said to herself with angry energy. 1910 A. Bennett Clayhanger i. ii. 16 ‘I'll show 'em!’ he muttered. And he meant that he would show the world. 1921 H. Williamson Beautiful Years 170 My aunt, what a riff-raff of new bugs, Spotty. We'll show 'em, eh? 1935 C. S. Forester African Queen vi. 116 They hadn't believed anyone would try to get down those gorges... Well, this'd show 'em. 1952 M. Laski Village xvi. 215 Never did I think I'd live to hear my friends making excuses for me... I'll show them, she thought, I'll show them. 1974 M. Babson Stalking Lamb iv. 32 Perhaps she wouldn't come back and collect her at all—that would show her!

    23. a. To communicate, announce, declare, narrate, state, tell (a fact, story, news, etc.); to describe, give an account of. † Also with forth. Now arch.

a 1300 Ten Commandm. 15 in E.E.P. (1862) 16 God commandid to ysay..hou he ssold þe folke tech and to ssow ham god-is defens: of þe .x. commandemens. c 1325 Metr. Hom. 30 That he suld schew him openly..Of his felaw state sum tithand. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 7615 Lete we hem now at þis segeing & schewe werres & wo. 1450–1530 Myrr. our Ladye 81 And my mouthe shall shew thy praysynge. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 11 He send his Apostlis..to ger schawe the cristyn faith. 1530 Palsgr. 717/2, I shewe tydinges, or a message, je annonce. 1535 Coverdale Judg. xiv. 13 Shewe forth hy ryddle, let vs heare it. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer, Mattins, My mouthe shall shewe forth thy prayse. 1637 Rutherford Lett. (1664) 224, I know ye desire news from my prison & I shall shew you news. 1657 Austen Fruit Trees i. 86 Having shewed some profitable Instructions. 1723 Ramsay Fair Assembly ix, These modest maids inspire the muse In flowing strains to shaw Their beauties. 1883 R. W. Dixon Mano i. viii. 21 For friendship's sake I may not all declare, Nor more than fits the story shall be shown.

    † b. with that or as and clause, or with complement. Also said of a book, writing, etc. Obs.

a 1300 Cursor M. 699 Als scheus þe bok. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 608 And he wald-eȝed was, as þe writt schewys. c 1440 Jacob's Well 14 We denounce & schewe acursyd..þat is to say, we schewe hem dampnyd.. And we schewe hem to be takyn to þe powere of sathan. c 1505 in Surtees Misc. (1890) 31 He schewyd hus that he had spokyn w{supt} John Cauthorn. 1529 More Dyaloge iii. Wks. 223/2 Frere Hierom..came to hym..shewing him that he wold cast of his abite. 1632 Lithgow Trav. iii. 83 Iohn Smith..shewing me that all the Officers..were in searching..for me.

    c. To set forth, allege (in a legal document). Often in petitionary formulae.

1425 Munim. de Melros (Bannatyne Club) 544 Schawand and pretendand þair rychtis and clamys on ilke syde. 1425 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 289/1 Shewyn and besechyn full benignely, your trew humble Liegies the Comens of this present Parlement. 1480 Cov. Leet Bk. 443 These ben the compleyntes of the Iniuries & wronges don to Tho. Deram,..shewed & deliuered be this present bill vnto Will. Shore, Mair of Couentre. 1531 Star Chamber Cases (Selden Soc.) II. 184 Most humbly Shewen and Complayn vnto your good lordship your daily Oratours. 1683 Col. Rec. Pennsylv. I. 64 The Peticion was read shewing that the Mr. of said ship deney'd to pay them their wages. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 118 ¶10 The humble petition of Penelope Prim, widow, Sheweth, That your petitioner was bred a clear-starcher and Sempstress.

    d. To state, allege, plead (a cause, reason, etc.). Now chiefly in Law: see cause n. 3 b.

a 1225 Ancr. R. 112 Þe reisuns hwui beoð her efter suteliche ischeawede. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1052 Þan wil I after shew..Skille why men a man world calles. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. ii. (1868) 114, I shal shewe þe more þikke and continuel resouns. 1535 Coverdale Josh. xx. 4 He..shal..shewe his cause before the Elders of the cite. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 707 Shee declared and shewed the cause, why she could not come to them in tyme. 1597 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 1045 Hope and Curage did..Schaw skild and pithie resouns quhy That Danger lap the dyke. 1625 Gill Sacr. Philos. 223 Thus have I very briefly showen not many reasons, but rather how many reasons may be showen for this Christian assertion.

    † e. to show law: to plead (for a suitor). Obs.

1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. viii. 53 He þat..spekeþ for þe pore..Coueiteþ not his goodes, Bote for vr lordes loue lawe for him scheweþ. 1377 Ibid. B. ii. 134 Ledeth hire to londoun, þere lawe is yshewed.

    † f. absol. To tell, declare, expound; to speak as a representative for; to speak, tell, give an account of. With indirect obj.: To inform or apprise of. Obs.

c 1230 Hali Meid. 13 Þis mihte is þat an þat i þis deadlich lif scheaweð in hire estat of þe blisse undeadlich i þat eadi lond. a 1300 Cursor M. 119, I sal yow schew..Bre[fl]i of aiþere testament. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. iv. 145 Þe kyng..rehersede þat Reson hedde Rihtfoliche I-schewet. 1399 ― Rich. Redeles iv. 30 To chese..cheualleris..To schewe ffor þe schire in company with þe grete. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (Verse) 205 Of swilk sufferance god schewes til vs In his godspel. c 1470 Henry Wallace iii. 319 He schew thaim of hys deide. c 1500 Melusine 295 And shortly to shewe, he came & recountred hys brother. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. i. xvii. 19 [He] was sent to shewe the Bascha of our comming.

    † 24. To decree, award, assign (to a person) in a legal or formal manner; to fix or appoint authoritatively; to declare, make an award (that). In later use Sc. Obs.

a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1048, Þa..sceawede him mann .v. nihta grið ut of lande to farenne. a 1300 Cursor M. 26196 On seke man agh na scrift be laid, Bot þus gat o þe preist be said, sli scrift sceuid þan sal þou driue if þou war couerd to liue. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 125 Þis William often tymes fauȝt wiþ þe kyng of Fraunce, nevere sodenly,..but þe day of batayle i-schewed and assigned byfore. 1524 Registr. Aberdon. (Maitland Club) I. 390 This court wardis and schawis for law that [etc.]. 1540 Aberd. Reg. (1844) I. 171 The court wardis and schawis for law, and it wes gewine for dome, that [etc.].

    25. a. To prove, demonstrate (a fact, statement) by argument, reasoning, allegation of evidence or instances, experiment, etc.

c 1330 Spec. Gy de Warw. 399 Þat is preued and ishewed. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 264 And that..I schal be reson prove and schewe. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. Pref. 4 Unlesse they could first shewe his erroure, he coulde not chaunge his opinion. 1626 W. Sclater Expos. 2 Thess. (1629) 200 It sufficeth to shew inualidity of the inference. 1793 Beddoes Math. Evid. 105 What is shewn to us by anatomy, we are just as sure of, as of that which is shewn to us by geometry. 1880 Driver Hebr. Tenses App. III. (ed. 2) 260 This can be shewn inferentially from Hebrew itself.

    b. With that and clause (or as..).

c 1200 Ormin Pref. 30 Jesuss iss Amminadab, Swa summ icc hafe schæwedd. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 6975 God aþ vaire issewed þat we gultelese beþ. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 40 But forto schew þat God suffrede hym specyaly, þus ensampull I tell. 1584 Leycesters Commw. (1641) 64 Every falling out must have an attonement againe..as I have shewed before. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxiv. 127 As hath been already shewn. 1765 Blackstone Comm. i. viii. 303 Sir Edward Coke hath clearly shewn, that [etc.]. 1861 Paley æschylus (ed. 2) Supplices 836 note, As Wilkinson shows from Aelian. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 238 Many arguments are used to show, that motion is the source of life. 1893 W. B. Smith Introd. Mod. Geom. 120 Show that tangents from two points on a centre ray form a kite.

    c. With complementary obj.: To prove, make out (a person or thing) to be (something). Also with accus. and inf.

1563 Winȝet Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 5 Gif the trew citienaris..war recouncelit..be sik meanis as we scheu Nehemias to hef bene. 1883 R. W. Dixon Mano i. xv. 48 But here to my intent it is not main In that concern to show him right or wrong. 1893 W. B. Smith Introd. Mod. Geom. 262 The student may easily show it to be a rectangle.

    d. to go to show: see go v. 42; freq. absol. in colloq. phr. it just (or only) goes to show. Also simply it just (or only) shows. Occas. with indirect obj.

1926 F. Scott Fitzgerald Great Gatsby ix. 209 It just shows you, don't it?.. Jimmy was bound to get ahead. 1937 M. Sharp Nutmeg Tree xiv. 182 ‘Do you care for Galsworthy?’ asked Julia... Sir William replied that he did. Which just showed. 1945 E. Waugh Brideshead Revisited ii. i. 222 My wife's in a terrible way. She's an experienced sailor. Only shows, doesn't it. 1952 M. Laski Village iv. 68 An elementary school-teacher, that's what she was... Well, it just shows. 1977 J. Bingham Marriage Bureau Murders xi. 140, I was a little worried about you..but..here you are safe and sound, well, well, it just shows!

    26. a. Of a thing: To be a proof, evidence, sign or indication of.

c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 1575 We seiȝen..her aboue Ouer ous a sky houe, Þat ous schewed þe biȝate Of swiche a þing on erþe late. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 175 Her workes schewes þis wel, howevere þei speke by syde. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode ii. cxlviii. (1869) 135 Bi which disioynct is ysawed þe onhede of bretherhed. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. i. 181 You must needes learne, Lorde, to amend this fault: Though sometimes it shew Greatnesse, Courage, Blood. 1673 O. Walker Educ. (1677) 97 Huffing, and swaggering..commonly shews want of spirit. 1750 Gray Long Story 138 Her air and all her manners shew it. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair lvii, Having undergone such a process of blood-letting and calomel as showed the strength of his original constitution. 1859 Habits Gd. Society xi. 314 Nothing showing worse taste than to load your plate. 1884 Q. Rev. Jan. 215 Misprints, showing..carelessness on the part of the corrector.

    b. Const. clause with that, as, etc.

a 1225 Leg. Kath. 450 Ah þi schene nebscheft & ti semliche schape schaweð wel þet tu art freo monne foster. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 70 Þat þe lond is þin, þi helm schewes it þe. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 145 As here wickid lif scewiþ. a 1704 T. Brown Misc., Match for Devil Wks. 1711 IV. 147 His Habit, Cane, and formal Face, Shew'd he was of Geneva Race. 1847 Helps Friends in C. i. vi. 98 All of it only goes to show how little we know of each other. 1861 Paley æschylus (ed. 2) Agam. 1261 note, ‘Go on faring as you now fare’, viz. prosperously, as the context shows. 1868 Lockyer Elem. Astron. vi. (1879) 234 That nebulæ are masses of glowing gas is shown by the fact that their light consists merely of a few bright lines.

    c. Const. obj. with compl., or accus. and inf.

1560 Ovid's Narcissus D j, For who dothe count [printed couet] him selfe of wyser skole Then dedes him showe, doth proue him selfe a fole. 1751 C. Labelye Westm. Bridge 77 Considerable Openings in the Joints shewed those Arches in some Danger. 1828 Duppa Trav. Italy, etc. 114 The walls of the city are now sufficiently entire to shew their extent to have been about three miles. 1871 Meredith H. Richmond xlvi, Their maxims show them to direct all their acuteness upon obtaining quality for their money.

    27. show up. a. In school language: To report (a scholar) for punishment.

1845 College & T.B. Life at Westm. 25 Oct., I went into School not having done my Verses... I was therefore Shown-up, and..pleaded my first fault.

    b. To disgrace or discredit by a thorough exposure; to exhibit as an impostor or an imposture; to expose (a person's faults, ignorance, misdeeds, etc.).

1826 Blackw. Mag. Aug. 325/2 A long article in the Quarterly Theological Review has fairly shown up the Yankee divine. 1829 Examiner 476/1 He threatened to ‘show up’ my brother in the Age. 1865 Mill Exam. Hamilton 478 That mathematical mysticism, so mercilessly shown up by Berkeley. 1884 St. James's Gaz. 17 Oct. 3/1 The unpleasing process of ‘showing-up’ an unscrupulous adversary.

    VI. intr. To be seen, be visible, appear.
    28. a. To be or become visible; to make an appearance. Said of persons and things. Also transf., of a woman: to manifest visible signs of pregnancy (colloq.).

a 1300 Cursor M. 17288 + 254 Þis was þe first time þat iesus,..Schewed til anyman after his vp-risyng. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xi. 159 Þe sonne som tyme for cloudes May nat shyne ne shewe on shawes on erthe. 1399 ― Rich. Redeles ii. 52 Þanne comeþ..Anoþer proud partriche..and houeth þe eyren..and ffostrith and ffodith, tille ffedris schewe. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) iv. 23 Sche lyeth in an olde Castelle..and schewethe twyes or thryes in the ȝeer. c 1450 Merlin iii. 56 Than shewde the signe in the ayre that Merlin hadde seide. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xvi. ii. 666 They sawe an hand sheuyng vnto the elbowe. 1573–80 Tusser Husb. (1878) 92 Rowle after a deaw, when barlie doth sheaw. 1599 T. M[oufet] Silkwormes 50 Til you can attaine wherwith to feed your guests when first they shew, Haste not their hatching. 1607 Shakes. Timon i. i. 23 The fire i' th Flint Shewes not, till it be strooke. 1862 Ansted Channel Isl. i. iv. (ed. 2) 61 One of the most dangerous rocks..only shows within two hours of low water. 1887 A. E. Housman Shropshire Lad i, It dawns in Asia, tombstones show, And Shropshire names are read. 1891 ‘J. S. Winter’ Lumley vi, Where the lily-buds were just beginning to show. 1892 Bierce In Midst of Life 97 He showed against the sky, he and his horse, sharply defined..as an equestrian statue. 1936 M. Mitchell Gone with Wind xxxviii. 681 Comforting herself..with the belief that she did not show at all when thus covered. 1957 [see mistake n. 1 d]. 1966 B. Askwith Step out of Time vi. 95 How the old lady knew, miss, we have no idea. Rose certainly hadn't begun to show. 1979 R. Rendell Make Death love Me iii. 25 In that field Christopher was conceived... Pam would marry before she began to ‘show’.

    b. Of a thing: To be seen (through, over, under, etc.) something that partly covers or conceals it. Also, to be visible as a fault or defect.

1842 Browning Soliloquy Sp. Cloister iv, Can't I see his dead eye glow..That is, if he'd let it show! 1844 Mrs. Browning Lost Bower xii, Few and broken paths showed through it. 1852 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xxvi, Take care, don't spoil the looks of it! cut underneath, where it won't show. 1886 Manch. Exam. 13 Jan. 3/2 Were the paper a little better it would be perfect. As it is the type shows through the page. 1908 R. Bagot A. Cuthbert v. 39 The walls and towers of Warkworth, barely showing above the woods surrounding them. 1907 J. A. Hodges Elem. Photogr. (ed. 6) 88 Markings..which would show in the prints.

    c. of immaterial things.

1390 Gower Conf. I. 31 Wherof the sothe schewe may, At Rome ferst if we beginne. Ibid. 308 Hate is a wraththe noght schewende. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 29 The disposicion of a manne dooeth not shewe so clere in his face. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xxxvi. 158 b, True religion..began to shew and take root. 1886 Stevenson Kidnapped ix, It was plain he meant more by the words than showed upon the face of them.

    † d. impers. = (it) is seen or shown, appears, is plain. Obs.

c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶331 As sheweth here by the naddre. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 63 It scheweth ek how he can werche Among tho wyde furred hodes. c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. ii. §32 As shewith by the canoun of thi kalender. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) I. 35 Unstable is your mynde: that shewes by your garment. 1556 Chron. Grey Friars (Camden) 78 As it shalle shoo after. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xiii. 101 As schawis weill be ȝour Genalogie.

    e. to show forth: to come forth to view. to show ahead: to take a position ahead (in a race).

1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 121 The pomp of pryde ay furth shawis. 1500 Ortus Vocab., Compareo, to shewe forth. 1884 Cambr. Rev. 10 Dec. 132 At the start, Bristowe's crew at once shewed ahead by about three feet.

    f. Of an oil well: to give an indication of the presence of oil. Cf. show n.¹ 5 c.

1904 Dialect Notes II. 389 Show, v., to promise oil. 1977 Times 2 Nov. 3 Almost five years ago to the day, Beryl [sc. an oil well] showed.

    g. In catch phr. your slip (etc.) is showing (cf. slip n.³ 10, 4 c), addressed to someone thought to be unwittingly exposing a fault. Also in similar contexts.

1943 D. Powell Time to be Born v. 103 Pardon me, lady, your slip is showing. 1958 Spectator 1 Aug. 174/2 There were still standards, and hypocrisy, the homage of vice and virtue, was the duty of all public figures. But in a gratifying number of cases the slip showed and the shocked and gratified public learned that ‘Anything Goes’. 1968 [see credibility gap s.v. credibility c]. 1971 C. Fick Danziger Transcript (1973) 33 Your defense mechanisms are showing, Mr. Danziger. 1976 A. Miller Inside Outside vii. 83, I see in you a new broom, though your slip is still showing in places.

    29. a. To appear in public, make a display in public. In mod. use chiefly colloq. (cf. b): To appear in company or society; to make an appearance in an assembly, among guests, etc. Also in weakened sense, an ellipt. use of sense 35 c, to put in an appearance, ‘turn up’.

1625 B. Jonson Staple of N. Prol. for Stage 14 To know How many Coaches in Hide-parke did show last spring. 1671 in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 22 All the troopes are to show in Hide Parke beefore the Prince of Orange.

1825 C. M. Westmacott Engl. Spy I. 215 He shows in Park. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. iii. x, The breakfast party did not assemble till noon, and then Lady Catherine did not ‘show’. 1848 Thackeray Bk. Snobs vii, Marian has a hump-back and doesn't show. 1858 Trollope Dr. Thorne II. v. 91 He'll be in presently. I believe he never shews till just before dinner. 1864 Dickens Mut. Fr. (1865) I. i. xiii. 127 What if I..take a look round?.. None of you need show. 1889 H. F. Wood Englishman Rue Caïn ix, I'll show against him for any object of value. Sing? What do you think of this note..? 1898 Jean A. Owen Hawaii iii. 65 If the king was in the cabin of a vessel no subject might show on deck. 1907 B. M. Croker Company's Servant xxxiii. 335 ‘Gojar never shows by day,’ explained Talbot. 1951 T. Sterling House without Door vii. 81 Big-shots like that didn't come to the police... The guy would never show. 1969 W. Garner Us or Them War xxxvii. 276 Jagger said flatly, ‘I'm staying until she shows.’ 1974 ‘J. le Carré’ Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy vii. 56 She didn't show... It was the first time she'd broken a date.

    b. Pugilism. To enter the ring as a combatant.

1813 Sporting Mag. XLI. 99 He showed with seeming reluctance about an hour after the appointed time. 1818 Ibid. (N.S.) II. 279 Johnson..first showed and threw his hat in the ring. 1828 Egan Boxiana IV. 169 Turner..was far more likely to make his exit, than ever be made able to show again in the Prize Ring.

    c. colloq. To exhibit oneself for money.

1898 Daily News 2 Apr. 6/1 He got a living by ‘showing’ in the various public-houses in the neighbourhood at entertainments got up for his benefit.

    d. Comm. Of a commodity: To appear or be prominent in the market.

1913 Times 11 Dec. 10/2 In insurance phraseology, ‘a good deal of radium has lately been showing.’ 1982 Times 13 July 16/1 Glaxo showed strongly, moving up 12p on revised profit forecasts. Ibid. 17 July 12/1 Mixconcrete showed very firm.

    e. N. Amer. Horse-racing. To finish third or in the first three in a race.

1903 J. Ullman What's the Odds? 129 The customary limit of the handbooks around Chicago was twenty, eight and four, to win, place and show. 1936 [see place v. 5 f]. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 13 Feb. 27/1, I myself..usually bet $200 to show, or $50-$100-$200 across the board. 1977 New Yorker 16 May 130/1 In the OTB betting shops..he paid three dollars straight, three dollars to place, and three dollars to show.

    30. a. With complement (adj. or † n.): To look, seem, appear. arch.

1340 Ayenb. 44 Huanne þo þet zelleþ be wyȝte purchaceþ and makeþ zuo moche þet þet þing þet me ssel weȝe sseweþ more heuy. 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles iii. 368 Þe sonne þat so briȝte schewed. c 1430 Lydg. Minor Poems (Percy Soc.) 22 All is not golde that outward shewith bright. 1479 Paston Lett. III. 267 That my Lord of Ely is and shal be bettyr lord to me then he hathe shewyd as yet. 1513 Act 5 Hen. VIII, c. 4. §1 If the same Worsted..taketh any Wet, incontinent it will shew spotty and foul. 1572 in Bercher Nobility Wom. (1904) 31 Hitherto he hath shewid an Obstinate and a Fole. 1592 Timme Ten. Eng. Lepers E 3 A Woolfe in a sheepes skinne sheweth a dead sheepe. 1635 E. Pagitt Christianogr. i. ii. (1636) 82 The Pope to make his Jurisdiction to shew greater then it is, giveth many titles. 1671 tr. Marten's Voy. Spitzbergen in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. ii. (1694) 19 These Snow-Mountains show very strange to those that never saw them before. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. II. 17 b, Lead..shews very handsome, and is not very expensive. 1747 B. Hoadly Suspicious Husb. ii. iv, Why, how dull and phlegmatick do you shew to me now? 1812 Examiner 11 May 292/1 Poor..soils..show..very thin. 1863 Cowden Clarke Shaks. Char. iv. 101 How daintily epicurean the fellow shows. 1893 Oxford Mag. 1 Nov. 40/2 The wood when cut showed sound as a bell.

    b. With adv. or advb. phrase: To present an appearance (specified by the adv.); to make a (good, bad, etc.) show or display.

c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvi. (Baptista) 645 Lowing in-to kine wel scheuis, þat is enhornit with gud thewis. 1602 Marston Ant. & Mel. ii. Wks. 1856 I. 27 They showe as well as if they were new. 1631 Massinger Emperor East v. iii, The falling out, and in, Betweene the husband and the wife showes rarely. 1632 Sir T. Hawkins tr. Mathieu's Unhappy Prosp. 243 Great wealth shews ill without honours. 1764 Reid Inquiry i. §6 Wks. I. 103/1 It [a puppet] shews tolerably by candle light. 1802 M. Edgeworth Moral T., Forester viii, The lady-patronesses..contenting themselves with seeing the charity-children show well in procession to Church. 1823 Scott Quentin D. xi, Her imperfect and unequal gait, which shewed to peculiar disadvantage as she traversed this long gallery. 1851 J. H. Newman Catholics in Eng. 19 Here, again, things would show very differently, if Catholics had the painting. 1877 Froude Short Stud. (1883) IV. i. iv. 48 Becket never showed to more advantage than in moments of personal danger. 1912 Times 19 Dec. 13/5 He [a prize dog] moved and showed well and deserved his honours.

    c. To look like. arch.

1578 Lyte Dodoens iv. lii. 510 A white substance or pith, the whiche being drawen out, sheweth like long, white..threds. 1605 Shakes. Lear i. iv. 265 This our Court infected with their manners Shewes like a riotous Inne. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 805 Like a large Cluster of black Grapes they show. a 1700 Evelyn Diary 14 July 1675, Holmby House, which being demolish'd in the late civil warrs, shews like a Roman ruine. 1877 Blackie Wise Men Greece 137 We shall show like an army of crows marching against eagles.

    † d. With to and inf.: To appear or seem (to be, to do something); to affect, profess, pretend; to be seen evidently (to be or do). Obs.

c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶2386 Whan he sheweth to doon a thyng openly and werketh priuely the contrarie. 1402 Friar Daw Topias in Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 109 And ȝit ȝour sect susteynes wommen to seie massis, shewyng to trete a sacrament as preestes that thei were. 1575 Gascoigne Hemetes Wks. 1910 II. 481 W{supt}{suph} all semblaunt that mighte be, he shewed to sett by her but litle. c 1580 Sidney Ps. ix. xi, Then the Lord in judgment showes to raign. 1588 Parke tr. Mendoza's Hist. China 334 There are many mountaines which shewe to haue mettals. 1632 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, Matt. xii. 33 Be good, and shew to be such by the fruits which ye beare. 1653 H. Cogan Scarlet Gown 60 The Pope..received him very graciously, and shewed to be glad of his recovered liberty.

    † e. With as though, as if: To have an appearance which suggests that —. Obs.

1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 78 Pretendynge and shewynge outwardly as though it were of very mekenes. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. vii. 18 b, Skirmishing with their dartes, and showing as though they..wold defende the water. 1657 Earl of Monmouth tr. Paruta's Pol. Disc. 102 The Romans..in all their actions shewed as if they desired nothing but glory. 1670–1 Narborough Jrnl. in Acc. Sev. Late Voy. i. (1694) 67 The Wood shews in many places as if there were Plantations. c 1710 C. Fiennes Diary (1888) 214 It makes all the houses shew as if they were cover'd with snow. 1725 Pope Shaks. Wks. I. Pref. 12 Which shows as if the friendship had continued thro' life.

    f. With ppl. adj. to show willing, to display readiness to please or satisfy. colloq.
    Willing is sometimes construed as a noun, in which case the verb belongs to branch IV.

1957 Loneliness (Women's Group on Public Welfare) iii. 29 The older woman..must ‘show willing’ and be adaptable. 1959 P. Bull I know Face i. 11 My father wanted me to be a chartered accountant... However, in order to show willing, I did settle for ‘journalism’. 1964 A. Wilson Late Call iii. 121 Luckily the poor creature was very willing, and there was one rule Sylvia always made—never turn off anyone who shows willing. 1973 J. Wilson Truth or Dare x. 121, I feel I've got to go, Claire, just to show willing.

    31. to show for—. † a. To claim to be, have, or do (something). Obs. b. To give promise of, portend, ‘look like’. dial.

a. 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades iii. v. (1592) 330 Let this labour of mine not seeme to any man to bee..lesse profitable than it sheweth for. 1628 Feltham Resolves i. xxvi. 83 Hee would make vs beleeue, Divinity is much short of what it shewes for. 1680 Filmer Patriarcha ii. §3. 36 As this Argument comes not home to our Point, so it is not able to prove that Title which it shews for.

b. 1778 [W. H. Marshall] Minutes Agric. 2 Oct. 1776, The other evening shewed for rain. 1876 Surrey Gloss., Show for, to look like; e.g. ‘It shows for rain uncommon’. 1886 W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v., The wind's up again, and I sim do show vor fine weather.

    † 32. show away = show off (33 a). Obs.

1759 Goldsm. Bee No. 1 ¶14 The French player..begins to show away by talking nonsense. 1760–72 H. Brooke Fool of Qual. (1809) III. 38 He paraded and shewed away, at a vast rate, concerning the divinely inherent right of monarchs. 1770 C. Jenner Placid Man iii. ix, Lord B. shewed away in all his glory.

    33. show off. a. To act or talk for show; to make a deliberate or ostentatious display of one's abilities or accomplishments. colloq.

a 1793 G. White Nat. Cal., Observ. Birds (1795) 79 A fern-owl this evening..showed off in a very unusual..manner. 1815 Lady Granville Lett. (1894) I. 69 She puts me in mind of Miss Berry when she is showing off. 1894 D. C. Murray Making Novelist 201 He was tempted to swagger and ‘show off’ as children say.

    b. Pugilism. ? To begin the attack, start a round.

1812 Sporting Mag. XL. 66 His antagonist shewed off at his head. 1821 Egan Boxiana (1830) I. 261 Dan showed off in good style..and finished the round by knocking down his opponent.

    34. show out. a. ? To become visible, emerge from obscurity or concealment; fig. to exhibit one's true character.

1839 M. Walker Diary 9 Feb. in C. M. Drury First White Women over Rockies (1963) II. 143 Mrs. W. on first reaching us seemed in good humor & I hoped she had made her a better heart. But at supper table & even before she began to show out. 1846 De Quincey Syst. Heavens Wks. 1862 III. 179 Description of the nebula in Orion as forced to show out by Lord Rosse. 1859 ― Mackintosh Wks. XIII. 75 Rarely has a false idea been more suddenly caused to founder and show out. 1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms vi, The horse held up his head and snorted as he came abreast of us, and we showed out.

    b. U.S. = show off (33 a).

1889 M. E. Wilkins Far-away Melody, etc. (1890) 258 See that old lady trailing her best black silk by... Ain't it ridiculous how she keeps on showing out?

    35. show up. a. To appear conspicuously or in relief.

1883 Truth 31 May 768/2 A brocade on which..yellow marguerites..showed up upon a ground of scarlet. 1891 Bax Outlooks fr. New Standpoint iii. 171 Most persons are afraid of something, but they, at times, show up brave on the background of persons who are afraid of something else.

    b. To become prominent, to catch the eye.

1885 Field 31 Jan. 135/2 Some scrummaging took place at the half way till Ekin showed up with a good run, which brought the play to the North lines.

    c. colloq. To put in an appearance; to be present or ‘turn up’ (at an appointed time or place).

1888 Lisbon (Dakota) Star 3 Feb. 4/1 Will Worden is expected to show up next week. 1890 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Col. Reformer (1891) 167 Paul did not show up at the office next day. c 1895 Thompson St. Poker Club 131 The regular members showed up, however, in force.

    VII. The verb-stem in combinations.
    36. show-and-tell. N. Amer. A method used in teaching young children, who are encouraged to bring objects to school and describe them to their classmates. Usu. as attrib. phr.

[1948 Q. Jrnl. Speech XXXIV. 361/1 Those who volunteered to speak during the regular classroom share-and-tell period.] 1950 Amer. Childhood Sept. 18/1 Woodridge Elementary School in Austin, Texas, along with many other schools in the nation, began solving this problem three years ago through a ‘Show and Tell’ period, conducted almost every day in the first, second, and third grades. Ibid. 18/3 Pictures cause a great sensation at ‘Show and Tell’. 1958 J. E. Leavitt Nursery-Kindergarten Educ. xi. 235 The virtues of ‘show and tell’ are too often dissipated in either agonies of shyness, or frantic last minute panics at home to ‘find something for show and tell’. 1962 P. Bracken I hate to housekeep Bk. (1963) vi. 62 The children might, at their Show-and-Tell sessions at school. 1980 in S. Terkel Amer. Dreams 112 No courses in show-and-tell and personality adjustment.

    † 37. show-away a. (Cf. 32.) Given to display, ostentatious.

1775 S. J. Pratt Liberal Opin. liii. (1783) II. 137 Those shew-away fellows are mere pick-pockets. 1795 H. More Sheph. Salisb. Pl. i. Wks. 1834 I. 265 A plain frugal man, who..was remarked to give away more than any of his show-away neighbours.

    38. show-through. Printing. The fact of print on one side of a sheet of paper being visible from the other side. Cf. print-through 2, strike-through s.v. strike v. 88.

1947 New Book Faces (Lanston Monotype Machine Co., Philadelphia) 3/2 The ‘show through’ which is the result of printing in heavy color on thin or semi-transparent papers results in a loss of visibility and thereby affects readability. 1961 N. & Q. Apr. 160/2 A comparison of the facsimile with the original has shown that the fascimile is not so clear, but it has an adequate definition and the show-through, which occurs on several pages, does not seriously interfere with the reproduction. 1971 British Printer Jan. 80/2 The show-through is slight enough to permit printing both sides.

    39. show up. a. (Cf. 27 b.) The act of ‘showing up’ or exposing to ridicule, censure, or the like. Also, an instance of this; an exposé.

1830 ‘Jon Bee’ Ess. Foote p. lxxvii, (Cent.) Treading closely on the heels of a threatened show up. 1840 Fraser's Mag. XXII. 372 We cannot muster up impudence enough to continue our show-up of Wightwick's naughtiness. a 1854 Mill Early Draft Autobiogr. (1961) ii. 93 In my father's article the detailed shew-up of the Edinburgh Review had been left unfinished. 1854 Fraser's Mag. L. 253 Mr. Disraeli was to make a show-up of Mr. Gladstone's finance. 1937 W. H. S. Smith Let. 30 Oct. in Young Man's Country (1977) ii. 97, I am beguiling myself..by reading Sinclair Lewis's Elmer Gantry, a show-up of American Nonconformists. 1949 ‘G. Orwell’ Let. 16 June in Coll. Essays (1968) IV. 502 My recent novel is not intended as an attack on Socialism..but as a show-up of the perversions to which a centralised economy is liable. 1961 Guardian 9 June 9/2 One of those tough, sexy, ostensibly moralistic show-ups.

    b. A police identification parade. U.S. slang.

1929 M. A. Gill Underworld Slang 11/1 Show-up, where suspects are viewed by the police. 1932 Sun (Baltimore) 12 Dec. 1/3 The authorities conducted a mysterious ‘show up’ today for De Larm..police endeavoring to learn whether he had been seen in the vicinity..at the time of the killing. 1949 Penguin New Writing XXXVI. 96 They were real cops though. I had..to stand the showup..and to put in twenty days at Juvenile. 1955 Sun (Baltimore) 22 Nov. 3/1 Lyman Brown.. picked Graham out of a ‘showup’ of seven jail inmates.

Oxford English Dictionary