Dictionary

showcard en · NOUN

Etymology

From show + card.

Meanings

1. An advertising placard.
   • No matter how well dressed or how nicely goods are arranged in a window , it is robbed of half its effectiveness unless a good showcard completes it . 1902 November 1, “Window Dressing and Interior Store Decoration”, in Dry Goods Reporter and Midwest Merchant-economist, page 71:
   • With the showcard playing so important a part in the selling routine of the jewelry store, the jeweler should have someone in his employ learn the art of showcard writing. 1929 November 28, Joseph Bertram Jowitt, “Modern Poster Alphabet”, in The Jewelers' Circular, page 41:
   • Procure some regulation showcard colors in the 2-oz. bottles costing about 25c. 2023, John H. De Wild, Elements of show card writing, page 6:
2. A card for displaying samples.
   • There is another type of showcard which carries actual samples of the goods to be sold . 1926, Penrose's Annual - Volume 28, page 64:
   • New sample holding showcard from Widnells for their Norman cord range, shows the 12 colours available plus Cramond samples . 1973, Carpets and Textiles, page 27:
   • This showcard is reproduced in ten colors, showing the company's "151 Line" comprising eighteen colors, and has an easel back, making an attractive counter or window display. 1922, “Pencil Showcard with Color Chart”, in American Stationer and Office Manager, volume 90, page 24:
3. A card shown to a subject as an extra aid that is associated with one of the questions in a questionnaire or survey.
   • From this card (SHOWCARD 4) what if anything did you do at the time? 2017, Ronald V. Clarke, Marcus Felson, Routine Activity and Rational Choice, page 81:
   • For face-to-face interviews this can be put onto a showcard and the respondent can give the corresponding letter . Do not include ' refused ' on a showcard . 2024, Financial Literacy in Greece, page 102:
   • In 2002, a variant of this question using a showcard was asked, alongside the existing version. Data from the two question versions asked in 2002 were used to estimate the effect of using the showcard. 2010, Alison Park, John Curtice, Katarina Thomson, British Social Attitudes: The 26th Report, page 211:

Forms