Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

sideshow

/ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.94 in modern English

Syllables: sideshow
IPA: /ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A minor attraction at a larger event such as a circus, fair or music festival.

noun

An incidental spectacle that diverts attention from a larger concern.

noun

An incident in which drivers block traffic to perform stunts like donuts and burnouts for an extended period of time.

American usage; Slang

Example Sentences

"1999 November 8, Frank Hayes, The Back Page: The main event, Computerworld, page 86, And IT people dismiss IT′s impact because, hey, we like being a sideshow to the real action."
"1999, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Year Book, Australia, Number 81, page 349, Other recreation services, including amusement parks or arcades, sideshows, circuses and agricultural shows, accounted for another 666 businesses. These businesses employed 10,318 persons and a further 3,518 volunteers."
"In Australia he busked (singing on street corners), steeplejacked, was a drover and sheep shearer, did motor bike stunts in sideshows and even painted the Sydney Harbor^([sic]) Bridge."
"They taught the twins to play saxophone and transferred them from the sideshow to vaudeville."
"Entertainment features and sideshows enhanced attendance."
"Don′t miss the rusty relics dredged up from the original pier, and the spooky old sideshow machines."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-der. Proto-Germanic *sīdaz Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ Old English sīde Middle English side English side English show English sideshow From side + show.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/

Usage

American usage
Slang

Inflected Forms

sideshows (plural) side show (alternative)

Derived Forms

sideshowman

Phrases

sideshow alley

Questions

How do you pronounce sideshow?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/.
What does sideshow mean?: A minor attraction at a larger event such as a circus, fair or music festival.
Where does sideshow come from?: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-der. Proto-Germanic *sīdaz Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ Old English sīde Middle English side English side English show English sideshow From side + show.

How to pronounce sideshow

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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