Showre

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling for a brief fall of rain or a sudden burst of something ; to pour down or scatter something in great abundance
2. A dated term for a short downpour or a sudden rush of particles ; to rain down or heap something generously on a person or place
3. Old spelling meaning a passing fall of rain or a quick outpouring ; to cast or sprinkle something over others in large quantities

Etymology: Its distant ancestor probably meant a cold wind from the north. The Proto-Indo-European root "(s)ḱēwer-" referred to the north wind, a cold wind, or a rain shower, and its descendants split those senses apart. Slavic languages kept the north: Russian "sever" means "north," while Italian "coro" and Spanish "cauro" name a northwest wind. The Germanic branch kept the rain. Old English "sċūr" meant a shower or storm, and it became Middle English "schour." Its relatives, such as German "Schauer," Dutch "schoer," and Icelandic "skúr," still mean a passing shower, so the word's wet sense survived in the north while its wind sense faded there. English then softened "sch" to "sh," and the spelling "showre" preserved the older form for centuries.

Synonyms: shower, downpour, rain