show and tell

American  

noun

1. an activity for young children, especially in school, in which each participant produces an object of unusual interest and tells something about it.

2. Facetious. any informative presentation or demonstration, as to introduce a new product or divulge and explain a special plan.

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show and tell Idioms  

1. A public presentation or display, as in It was a terrible bore, what with their show and tell of every last detail about their trip around the world. This expression originated in the 1940s to describe a learning exercise for young children, in which each child in a group brings some object to show the others and talks about it.

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Other Word Forms

• show-and-teller
  noun
• show-and-tell
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of show and tell

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

show and tell

Tan also allegedly told Apple employees to bring physical components, such as batteries, circuit boards, and other parts, to interviews for "show and tell" sessions.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

For years, the volume — a 19th-century French treatise on the human soul — was brought out for show and tell, and sometimes, according to library lore, used to haze new employees.

From New York Times ● Mar. 27, 2024

"Last year in school, he made a show and tell of going in an ambulance."

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2022

You’ve got 10 episodes and so much content and six love stories to show and tell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2022

As to the art of pitching, of course, the old man could show and tell, but he could no longer do.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli