Showboat is an American word that dates back to the 1830s, though a more recent iteration of the word is often used in sports. We will examine the definitions of the word showboat, where it came from and some examples of its use in sentences,
A showboat is a certain type of riverboat popular in the 1800s that traveled the American waterways providing entertainment. All types of acts might be seen on a showboat, including minstrel shows, plays, freak shows, comedy sketches, circus acts and more. The arrival of a showboat in a small, backwater town on a river was a much anticipated situation. Though the showboat era ended at the beginning of the twentieth century, the term showboat was resurrected in the 1950s as a verb, to mean someone who is showing off, someone who is making a spectacle of himself. Most often, the verb showboat is used in the sports arena. Related words are showboats, showboated, showboating, showboater. It is unknown as to why this word made a comeback at this time, though it may be related to the release of the remake of the movie Show Boat in 1951.
Examples
The Showboat Branson Belle’s new show, Country on the Lake, includes a barbecue cuisine and contemporary country music with new performers. (The Branson Tri-Lakes News)
President Donald Trump was right about this much: As he told NBC’s Lester Holt last month, former FBI chief James Comey, whom Trump had just fired, is a “showboat.” (The Colombian)
Puig, who had showboated on a mammoth home run he hit against Tyler Pill in the fourth inning, returned to the Dodgers dugout, and the Mets resumed as a collection of zombies. (The New York Post)