16 N‑COUNT [oft on N ] A show is a public exhibition of things, such as works of art, fashionable clothes, or things that have been entered in a competition. □ The venue for the show is the city's exhibition centre. □ Two complementary exhibitions are on show at the Africa Centre.
17 VERB To show things such as works of art means to put them in an exhibition where they can be seen by the public. □ [V n] 50 dealers will show oils, watercolours, drawings and prints from 1900 to 1992.
18 ADJ [ADJ n] A show home, house, or flat is one of a group of new homes. The building company decorates it and puts furniture in it, and people who want to buy one of the homes come and look round it.
19 PHRASE If a question is decided by a show of hands , people vote on it by raising their hands to indicate whether they vote yes or no. □ Parliamentary leaders agreed to take all such decisions by a show of hands. □ Russell then asked for a show of hands concerning each of the targets.
20 PHRASE If you have something to show for your efforts, you have achieved something as a result of what you have done. □ I'm nearly 31 and it's about time I had something to show for my time in my job.
21 PHRASE You can say ' I'll show you ' to threaten or warn someone that you are going to make them admit that they are wrong. □ She shook her fist. 'I'll show you,' she said.
22 PHRASE If you say it just goes to show or it just shows that something is the case, you mean that what you have just said or experienced demonstrates that it is the case. □ This just goes to show that getting good grades in school doesn't mean you're clever.
23 PHRASE If you say that someone steals the show , you mean that they get a lot of attention or praise because they perform better than anyone else in a show or other event. □ Brad Pitt steals the show as the young man doomed by his zest for life.
24 to show someone the door → see door
25 to show your face → see face ➊
▸ show around in BRIT, also use show round PHRASAL VERB If you show someone around or show them round , you go with them to show them all the interesting, useful, or important features of a place when they first visit it. □ [V n P ] Would you show me around? □ [V n P n] Spear showed him around the flat.
▸ show off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you say that someone is showing off , you are criticizing them for trying to impress people by showing in a very obvious way what they can do or what they own. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P ] All right, there's no need to show off.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you show off something that you have, you show it to a lot of people or make it obvious that you have it, because you are proud of it. □ [V P n] Naomi was showing off her engagement ring. □ [V n P ] He actually enjoys his new hair-style and has decided to start showing it off.
3 → see also show-off
▸ show up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something shows up or if something shows it up , it can be clearly seen or noticed. □ [V P ] You may have some strange disease that may not show up for 10 or 15 years. □ [V P n] …a telescope so powerful that it can show up galaxies billions of light years away.
2 PHRASAL VERB If someone or something shows you up , they make you feel embarrassed or ashamed of them. □ [V n P ] He wanted to teach her a lesson for showing him up in front of Leonov.
3 → see show 12
show|biz /ʃoʊ b I z/ N‑UNCOUNT Showbiz is the same as show business . [INFORMAL ]
sho w busi|ness N‑UNCOUNT Show business is the entertainment industry of film, theatre, and television. □ He started his career in show business by playing the saxophone and singing.
show|case /ʃoʊ ke I s/ (showcases , showcasing , showcased )
1 N‑COUNT A showcase is a glass container with valuable objects inside it, for example at an exhibition or in a museum.
2 N‑COUNT You use showcase to refer to a situation or setting in which something is displayed or presented to its best advantage. □ [+ for ] The festival remains a valuable showcase for new talent.
3 VERB [usu passive] If something is showcased , it is displayed or presented to its best advantage. [JOURNALISM ] □ [be V -ed] Restored films are being showcased this month at a festival in Paris.
show|down /ʃoʊ daʊn/ (showdowns ) also show-down N‑COUNT [usu sing] A showdown is a big argument or conflict which is intended to settle a dispute that has lasted for a long time. □ [+ with ] The Prime Minister is preparing for a showdown with Ministers.
show|er /ʃaʊ ə r / (showers , showering , showered )
1 N‑COUNT A shower is a device for washing yourself. It consists of a pipe which ends in a flat cover with a lot of holes in it so that water comes out in a spray. □ She heard him turn on the shower.
2 N‑COUNT A shower is a small enclosed area containing a shower.
3 N‑COUNT The showers or the shower in a place such as a sports centre is the area containing showers. □ The showers are a mess. □ We all stood in the women's shower.