SHOW (shown)

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does show mean? 

• SHOW (noun)
  The noun SHOW has 4 senses:

1. the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining

2. something intended to communicate a particular impression

3. a social event involving a public performance or entertainment

4. pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression

  Familiarity information: SHOW used as a noun is uncommon.

• SHOW (verb)
  The verb SHOW has 12 senses:

1. give an exhibition of to an interested audience

2. establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

3. provide evidence for

4. make visible or noticeable

5. show in, or as in, a picture

6. give expression to

7. indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

8. be or become visible or noticeable

9. indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments

10. give evidence of, as of records

11. take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

12. finish third or better in a horse or dog race

  Familiarity information: SHOW used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHOW (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

a remarkable show of skill

Hypernyms ("show" is a kind of...):

amusement; entertainment (an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "show"):

dog show (a competitive exhibition of dogs)

carnival; fair; funfair (a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of skill etc.)

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show; Wild West Show (a spectacular show organized in 1883 by William F. Cody that featured horseback riding and marksmanship on a large scale; toured the United States and Europe)

sideshow (a minor show that is part of a larger one (as at the circus))

road show (a show on tour)

demonstration (a show of military force or preparedness)

demonstration; presentation; presentment (a show or display; the act of presenting something to sight or view)

display; exhibit; showing (something shown to the public)

ice show (any entertainment performed by ice skaters)

cabaret; floor show; floorshow (a series of acts at a night club)

circus (a performance given by a traveling company of acrobats, clowns, and trained animals)

raree-show (a street show)

horseshow (a competitive exhibition of horses)

entr'acte; interlude; intermezzo (a brief show (music or dance etc) inserted between the sections of a longer performance)

Derivation:

show (give an exhibition of to an interested audience)

showy (displaying brilliance and virtuosity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Something intended to communicate a particular impression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

display; show

Context example:

a good show of looking interested

Hypernyms ("show" is a kind of...):

demo; demonstration (a visual presentation showing how something works)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "show"):

big stick (a display of force or power)

gaudery; pomp (cheap or pretentious or vain display)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A social event involving a public performance or entertainment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Context example:

they wanted to see some of the shows on Broadway

Hypernyms ("show" is a kind of...):

social event (an event characteristic of persons forming groups)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "show"):

puppet play; puppet show (a show in which the actors are puppets)

variety; variety show (a show consisting of a series of short unrelated performances)

galanty show; shadow play; shadow show (a drama executed by throwing shadows on a wall)

play (a theatrical performance of a drama)

burlesque (a theatrical entertainment of broad and earthy humor; consists of comic skits and short turns (and sometimes striptease))

broadcast; program; programme (a radio or television show)

attraction (an entertainment that is offered to the public)

film; flick; motion-picture show; motion picture; movie; moving-picture show; moving picture; pic; picture; picture show (a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement)

choreography; stage dancing (a show involving artistic dancing)

performance; public presentation (a dramatic or musical entertainment)

Derivation:

show (give an exhibition of to an interested audience)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Pretending that something is the case in order to make a good impression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

appearance; show

Context example:

that ceremony is just for show

Hypernyms ("show" is a kind of...):

feigning; pretence; pretending; pretense; simulation (the act of giving a false appearance)

Derivation:

showy (marked by ostentation but often tasteless)

• SHOW (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give an exhibition of to an interested audience

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

demo; demonstrate; exhibit; present; show

Context example:

We will demo the new software in Washington

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

show (make visible or noticeable)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

bring home (make understandable and clear)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sentence examples:

The parents show a French poem to the children
The parents show the children a French poem

Derivation:

show (the act of publicly exhibiting or entertaining)

show (a social event involving a public performance or entertainment)

showing (something shown to the public)

showing (the display of a motion picture)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Establish the validity of something, as by an example, explanation or experiment

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

demonstrate; establish; prove; shew; show

Context example:

The mathematician showed the validity of the conjecture

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

affirm; confirm; corroborate; substantiate; support; sustain (establish or strengthen as with new evidence or facts)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

contradict; negate (prove negative; show to be false)

stultify (prove to be of unsound mind or demonstrate someone's incompetence)

prove (prove formally; demonstrate by a mathematical, formal proof)

prove oneself (show one's ability or courage)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 3

Meaning:

Provide evidence for

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bear witness; evidence; prove; show; testify

Context example:

Her behavior testified to her incompetence

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

attest; certify; demonstrate; evidence; manifest (provide evidence for; stand as proof of; show by one's behavior, attitude, or external attributes)

presume (constitute reasonable evidence for)

abduce; adduce; cite (advance evidence for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence example:

They show that there was a traffic accident

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make visible or noticeable

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

Show me your etchings, please

Cause:

see (perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

screen (project onto a screen for viewing)

define; delineate (show the form or outline of)

etch (cause to stand out or be clearly defined or visible)

demo; demonstrate; exhibit; present; show (give an exhibition of to an interested audience)

bring out; reveal; unveil (make visible)

fly (display in the air or cause to float)

display; exhibit; expose (to show, make visible or apparent)

flash (expose or show briefly)

do justice (bring out fully or to advantage)

project (project on a screen)

peep (cause to appear)

reflect (show an image of)

give (present to view)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Antonym:

hide (prevent from being seen or discovered)

Also:

show off (display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Show in, or as in, a picture

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

depict; picture; render; show

Context example:

the face of the child is rendered with much tenderness in this painting

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

interpret; represent (create an image or likeness of)

Domain category:

art; artistic creation; artistic production (the creation of beautiful or significant things)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

illustrate (depict with an illustration)

map (depict as if on a map)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Give expression to

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

evince; express; show

Context example:

She showed her disappointment

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

convey ((of information) make known; pass on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

connote; imply (express or state indirectly)

smile (express with a smile)

beam (express with a beaming face or smile)

menace (express a threat either by an utterance or a gesture)

accent; accentuate; emphasise; emphasize; punctuate; stress (to stress, single out as important)

articulate; formulate; give voice; phrase; word (put into words or an expression)

give vent; vent; ventilate (give expression or utterance to)

exude (make apparent by one's mood or behavior)

give (manifest or show)

imply (suggest as a logically necessary consequence; in logic)

evoke; paint a picture; suggest (call to mind)

burst out (give sudden release to an expression)

sneer (express through a scornful smile)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

designate; indicate; point; show

Context example:

he indicated his opponents

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

inform (impart knowledge of some fact, state of affairs, or event to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

reflect (manifest or bring back)

finger (indicate the fingering for the playing of musical scores for keyboard instruments)

point (indicate the presence of (game) by standing and pointing with the muzzle)

call attention; point out; signalise; signalize (point out carefully and clearly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sense 8

Meaning:

Be or become visible or noticeable

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

show; show up

Context example:

The dirty side will show

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

appear (come into sight or view)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

register (show in one's face)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The moon will soon show

Sense 9

Meaning:

Indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

read; record; register; show

Context example:

The gauge read 'empty'

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

indicate (to state or express briefly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

say (indicate)

show (give evidence of, as of records)

strike (indicate (a certain time) by striking)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 10

Meaning:

Give evidence of, as of records

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

The diary shows his distress that evening

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

read; record; register; show (indicate a certain reading; of gauges and instruments)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

attest (establish or verify the usage of)

surcharge (show an omission in (an account) for which credit ought to have been given)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 11

Meaning:

Take (someone) to their seats, as in theaters or auditoriums

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

show; usher

Context example:

The usher showed us to our seats

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

conduct; direct; guide; lead; take (take somebody somewhere)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "show"):

marshal (lead ceremoniously, as in a procession)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 12

Meaning:

Finish third or better in a horse or dog race

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

he bet $2 on number six to show

Hypernyms (to "show" is one way to...):

race; run (compete in a race)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

 Context examples 

So the young man agreed to follow his trade, and he soon showed himself so clever, that nothing could escape him that he had once set his mind upon.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The drug concentration in the first well showing no growth is known as the MIC for that antibiotic.

(Micro Broth Dilution Method, NCI Thesaurus)

To complete his description, his teeth were large and yellow, while the two eye-teeth, larger than their fellows, showed under his lean lips like fangs.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

You could show him up as the liar that he is!

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was shown ten times a-day, to the wonder and satisfaction of all people.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Loci number in the thousands but each locus shows a distinctive repeat unit.

(Minisatellite Repeat, NCI Thesaurus)

A pair of beasts is what we were, penned together and showing our teeth.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

TIMP-3 does not show a high degree of structural similarity unlike TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 which are structurally similar.

(Metalloproteinase Inhibitor 3, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

I showed not my feeling to others when it would wound, but only to you, my old friend, whom I can trust.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

It belongs to a family of compounds called anthraquinones, which have shown anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects.

(Aloe-emodin, NCI Dictionary)