baby shower

American

[bey-bee shou-er] / ˈbeɪ bi ˌʃaʊ ər /

noun

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.

Etymology

Origin of baby shower

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

They all attended London’s baby shower for her third child, and as a Houston native, she happily introduced the transplants to rodeos and the best places to buy cowboy boots for the kids.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

When some of L.A.’s top pastry chefs throw a baby shower, watch out.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Her mother didn’t like the feeling of the baby moving inside her, and didn’t have a baby shower, according to Blanchard.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024

Annie screamed and hurled the rattle she’d gotten at the baby shower given by the Lutheran Ladies’ Auxiliary.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023