sideshow

UK: /ˈsaɪdʃəʊ/ US: /ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/ ,(sīd′shō′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

side•show /ˈsaɪdˌʃoʊ/   n. [countable]

1. a minor show in connection with a principal one, as at a circus.
2. any event or activity secondary to another:
   The celebrities at the banquet were the main event; the banquet was the sideshow.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

side•show  (sīd′shō′), n. 

1. a minor show or exhibition in connection with a principal one, as at a circus.
2. any subordinate event or matter.

• 1840–50, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

sideshow / ˈsaɪdˌʃəʊ/ noun

1. a small show or entertainment offered in conjunction with a larger attraction, as at a circus or fair
2. a subordinate event or incident