shower

noun

• 1a brief and usually light fall of rain, hail, sleet, or snow: a day of sunny spells and scattered showers
• a mass of small things falling or moving at the same time:a shower of dust sprinkled his face
• a group of particles produced by a cosmic-ray particle in the earth’s atmosphere.

• 2a cubicle or bath in which a person stands under a spray of water to wash: all rooms have private shower and WC
• the apparatus in a shower that produces the spray of water: she turned off the shower and reached for a towel
• (US also shower bath) an act of washing oneself in a shower: she had a nice refreshing shower

• 3a large number of things happening or given at the same time:a shower of awards
• [often with modifier] North American a party at which presents are given to someone, typically a woman who is about to get married or have a baby:she loved going to baby showers

• 4 [in singular] British informal a group of people perceived as incompetent or worthless:look at this lot—what a shower!

verb

• 1 [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of a mass of small things) fall or be thrown in a shower:bits of broken glass showered over me
• [with object and adverbial of direction] cause (a mass of small things) to fall in a shower:his hooves showered sparks across the concrete floor
• [with object] (shower someone with) throw (a number of things) all at once towards someone:hooligans showered him with rotten eggs

• 2 [with object] (shower someone with) give someone a great number of (things):he showered her with kisses
• (shower something on/upon) give a great number of things to (someone):senior officers showered praise on their young policewomen

• 3 [no object] wash oneself in a shower: she showered and went down to breakfast