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definitions

medicine show

noun
  1. a traveling troupe, especially in the late 1800s, offering entertainment in order to attract customers for the patent medicines or purported cures proffered for sale.

Origin of medicine show

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for medicine show

Historical Examples of medicine show

  • And last of all is the "Medicine-Show," which is a character study situated on the banks of the Mississippi.