road show

¹ American  

Or roadshow

noun

1. a show, such as a play or musical comedy, performed by a touring group of actors.

2. an important motion picture, usually presented only twice daily on a reserved-seat basis and at increased prices.

3. any traveling exhibit, such as one promoting a company's products or a government program.

4. Informal. any group traveling around the country for a specific purpose, such as a political candidate together with an entourage.

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road-show ² American  

[rohd-shoh] / ˈroʊdˈʃoʊ /

adjective

1. of or relating to road shows.

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verb (used with object)

road-showed, road-showing

1. to present as a road show.

road show British  

noun

1. 1. a radio show broadcast live from one of a number of towns or venues being visited by a disc jockey who is touring an area

   2. the touring disc jockey and the personnel and equipment needed to present such a show

      the Radio 1 road show will be in Brighton next week

2. a group of entertainers, esp pop musicians, on tour

3. any occasion when an organization attracts publicity while touring or visiting

   an antiques road show

   a royal road show

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road show Idioms  

1. A tour made for a particular purpose, especially a political campaign. For example, It was primary season, and every would-be candidate was planning a road show. This term originated about 1900 for touring theatrical productions and in the mid-1900s began to be transferred to other endeavors.

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Etymology

Origin of road show¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Origin of road-show²

First recorded in 1870–80

Example Sentences

The league — and all the owners complaining about the Dodgers and their spending — happily profited from this traveling road show.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025

Politicians typically don’t mind campaign documentaries, because a race is a road show and the camera is a practice run for the performance part of the gig.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 13, 2025

"If we are not ready to hold a road show we should not have done that," former India batter and IPL-winning captain Gambhir said.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

The road show will be based on a recent quantum computing course she held for secondary-school girls who attend classes at Aims-Ghana during their holidays.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025

The horse’s campaign became a road show of athletic futility.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand