Shour

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An archaic or dialect spelling of shower, meaning a brief fall of rain or a sudden volley of thrown or fired objects
2. An old variant of shower referring to a burst of rain or a rush of falling missiles or blows
3. A Middle English and Scots form of shower, used for a sudden downpour of rain or a barrage of projectiles

Etymology: "Shour" is an older spelling of "shower," and the two are the same word. It comes from Old English "scūr," meaning a storm or a sudden burst of rain. Its German relative "Schauer" still means a passing shower. Medieval writers also used the word for a violent onslaught, such as a rush of arrows or blows. The spelling changed gradually. Medieval scribes wrote "shour," "shoure," and similar forms for the same sound, and the modern "shower," with its "w," became standard as English spelling was regularized in the early modern period. The verb "to shour," meaning to pour down or rain heavily, followed the same path, so the noun and verb have always developed together.

Synonyms: shower