Dictionary

showery en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈʃaʊəɹi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈʃaʊɹi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)kewh₁-der. Proto-Germanic *skawwōną Proto-West Germanic *skauwōn Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Proto-West Germanic *skauwārī Old English sċēawere Middle English schewere English shower Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English showery From shower + -y.

Meanings

1. Given to showers; having frequent rainfall.
   • A gentleman goes forth on a showery and miry day. He returns immaculate in the evening with the gloss still on his hat and his boots. 1901 August – 1902 April, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Problem”, in The Hound of the Baskervilles: Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes, London: George Newnes, […], published 1902, →OCLC, page 52:
   • The sun came out after what had been a showery morning, allowing the celebration to take place in the garden. 2007, William Trevor, “The Children”, in Cheating at Canasta, New York: Viking, pages 157–8:
2. Of or relating to a shower or showers.
   • She knew exactly how each of these trees would talk if only she could wake them, and what sort of human form it would put on. She looked at a silver birch: it would have a soft, showery voice and would look like a slender girl, with hair blown all about her face, and fond of dancing. 1951, C. S. Lewis, chapter 9, in Prince Caspian, Collins, published 1998:
   • Over their heads a crystal firmament, / Whereon a sapphire throne, inlaid with pure / Amber, and colours of the showery arch. 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 757-9:

Forms

Deriveds

showeriness