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

Wynns threw her a baby shower that was a cookie exchange.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Images from Bako’s baby shower were set in a 14,000-square-foot rental villa on one of Dubai’s palm islands, which markets itself as offering eight luxury bathrooms, VIP suites and a “massive assorted candy wall.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

Like Mrs. Dalloway, he spends the day leading up to his big party — in his case a baby shower in Los Angeles — reminiscing and worrying.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025

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

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

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