barnstorm

[bahrn-stawrm]

verb (used without object)

to conduct a campaign or speaking tour in rural areas by making brief stops in many small towns.
Theater. to tour small towns to stage theatrical performances.
(of a pilot) to give exhibitions of stunt flying, participate in airplane races, etc., in the course of touring country towns and rural areas.

(of a professional athletic team) to tour an area playing exhibition games after the regular season.

verb (used with object)

to tour (various places) as a barnstormer.

Origin of barnstorm

First recorded in 1880–85; barn¹ + storm

Related formsbarn·storm·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for barnstorming

canvass, travel, campaign, troupe

Examples from the Web for barnstorming

Contemporary Examples of barnstorming

Back then, when partners of stars melted into the background, it was a barnstorming stealing of the show.
Happy 20th Birthday, Liz Hurley’s Safety-Pin Dress
Tim Teeman
December 12, 2014
After such a barnstorming stage debut, and while “my heart is in theater,” screen acting intrigues him.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway
Tim Teeman
December 7, 2014
Not long after that, during a barnstorming tour of the country, he suffers the fate of all martyrs.
American Dreams: How Bush Shaped Our Reading of Roth’s ‘The Plot Against America’
Nathaniel Rich
November 23, 2014
As the barnstorming tour moves across America, Walker also seems to become increasingly fixated on Cuba.
The Man Oswald First Tried to Kill Before JFK
Bill Minutaglio, Steven L. Davis
October 3, 2013
He spent the last two years barnstorming around the country on behalf of Mitt Romney.
In New Jersey, Barbara Buono Is the Last Democrat Standing
David Freedlander
February 19, 2013

Historical Examples of barnstorming

I had heard of but had never known what "barnstorming" meant before.
Nat Goodwin's Book
Nat C. Goodwin
Usually though, it only ends in talk, and the teams make a barnstorming trip to San Francisco or to Cuba.
Baseball Joe Around the World
Lester Chadwick

British Dictionary definitions for barnstorming

barnstorm

verb (intr)

to tour rural districts putting on shows, esp theatrical, athletic, or acrobatic shows
mainly US and Canadian to tour rural districts making speeches in a political campaign

Derived Formsbarnstormer, nounbarnstorming, noun, adjective

Word Origin for barnstorm

C19: from barn 1 + storm (vb); from the performances often being in barns

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for barnstorming

barnstorm

1815, in reference to a theatrical troupe's performances in upstate New York barns (usually featuring short action pieces to suit vulgar tastes); extended 1896 to electioneering, 1928 to itinerant airplane pilots who performed stunts at fairs and races. Related: Barnstormed; barnstorming.