medicine show
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of medicine show
An Americanism dating back to 1935–40
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.
Dennison grew up performing in her parents’ traveling medicine show.
From Fox News • Nov. 2, 2021
By that time, he had already run away from home at least once to hook up with a traveling medicine show, in which he performed in drag as “Princess Lavonne.”
From Washington Post • May 9, 2020
A girl with a baby has bad luck with the men in her medicine show.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2019
Barnum, who both spent time early in their careers on the rickety stage of the medicine show.
From Forbes • Sep. 10, 2014
A trapper, the pitchman of a medicine show.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
