baby shower

American  

[bey-bee shou-er] / ˈbeɪ bi ˌʃaʊ ər /

noun

1. a party, sometimes attended by women only, for giving gifts to a prospective mother or to a couple about to be parents.

   We regularly use the stroller we were given at our baby shower, but the playpen only occasionally.

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Etymology

Origin of baby shower

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

We got it in a box of other cute little baby medical supplies from a neighbor, and I firmly believe that it makes the perfect baby shower gift.

From Slate • May 17, 2026

“A peaceful animal, perhaps, in a country that often feels anything but peaceful,” said Sergio Urista of the northern city of Tijuana, who attended a capybara-themed baby shower in October.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

Much like the worst kind of gender reveal party, Mason and Yunho’s baby shower has consequences.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

Former American Reproductive Centers patient Jaclyn Ferber Calonne was at a baby shower when she started receiving text messages about the explosion outside the fertility clinic.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2025

Deep inside I hoped maybe they would give me a baby shower.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose