The Collaborative International Dictionary
Show \Show\, v. t. [imp. Showed; p. p. Shownor Showed; p. pr. & vb. n. Showing. It is sometimes written shew, shewed, shewn, shewing.] [OE. schowen, shewen, schewen, shawen, AS. sce['a]wian, to look, see, view; akin to OS. scaw?n, OFries. skawia, D. schouwen, OHG. scouw?n, G. schauen, Dan. skue, Sw. sk?da, Icel. sko?a, Goth. usskawjan to waken, skuggwa a mirror, Icel. skuggy shade, shadow, L. cavere to be on one's guard, Gr. ??? to mark, perceive, hear, Skr. kavi wise. Cf. Caution, Scavenger, Sheen.]
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To exhibit or present to view; to place in sight; to display; -- the thing exhibited being the object, and often with an indirect object denoting the person or thing seeing or beholding; as, to show a house; show your colors; shopkeepers show customers goods (show goods to customers).
Go thy way, shew thyself to the priest.
--Matt. viii. 4.Nor want we skill or art from whence to raise Magnificence; and what can heaven show more?
--Milton. -
To exhibit to the mental view; to tell; to disclose; to reveal; to make known; as, to show one's designs.
Shew them the way wherein they must walk.
--Ex. xviii. 20.If it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away.
--1 Sam. xx. 1 3. Specifically, to make known the way to (a person); hence, to direct; to guide; to asher; to conduct; as, to show a person into a parlor; to show one to the door.
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To make apparent or clear, as by evidence, testimony, or reasoning; to prove; to explain; also, to manifest; to evince; as, to show the truth of a statement; to show the causes of an event.
I 'll show my duty by my timely care.
--Dryden. -
To bestow; to confer; to afford; as, to show favor.
Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me.
--Ex. xx. -
To show forth, to manifest; to publish; to proclaim.
To show his paces, to exhibit the gait, speed, or the like; -- said especially of a horse.
To show off, to exhibit ostentatiously.
To show up, to expose. [Colloq.]
Show \Show\, v. i. [Written also shew.]
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To exhibit or manifest one's self or itself; to appear; to look; to be in appearance; to seem.
Just such she shows before a rising storm.
--Dryden.All round a hedge upshoots, and shows At distance like a little wood.
--Tennyson. -
To have a certain appearance, as well or ill, fit or unfit; to become or suit; to appear.
My lord of York, it better showed with you.
--Shak.To show off, to make a show; to display one's self.
Usage examples of "to show off".
Calpurnia is obviously proud to show off her charges to the members of her church, but not everyone there is glad to see Scout and Jem.
What a chance to show off my new knowledge of the local healing herbs!
The same way you care for riding a pure-blooded stallion, the same way you like to show off your wolfhounds.
Then she and Sandy left their room to show off their brand new hair at the nurses station.
Anxious to show off his new command, General Caldwell sent for Byrne.
Incorrectly called lazurite in the South, lapis lazuli is usually cabochon cut and polished to show off its golden inclusions.
Toward the end of the afternoon he realized he was keenly anticipating visiting Rimini's to show off his new-found skill.
Weyse seemed to take great delight in scampering ahead and trilling at her, then running back as if to show off.
He overdoes it, of course, very much like Swinburne, but he didn't do it just to show off.
He was always careful to show off his own seamanship and prowess at navigation whenever Pomfret was not there to see it.
The truck, as we clattered into town, was surrounded by scampering, smiling children, who were delighted to see us, and keen to show off anew thing they had found to play with, which was a chicken with only one leg.