showroom

[ shoh-room, -roo m ]
/ ˈʃoʊˌrum, -ˌrʊm /

noun

a room used for the display of goods or merchandise.

verb (used without object)

to come into a store to view merchandise and then purchase it from a competitor, usually online, as to get a lower price or wider selection: For shoes, I usually showroom at a couple of stores, then buy them cheaper online.
to be used as a place to view rather than buy merchandise: No store wants to showroom for a website.

verb (used with object)

to display (merchandise) in a showroom.
to enter a store and view (merchandise) before purchasing it from a competitor, usually online.
to use or encourage people to use (a store) as a place to view rather than buy merchandise: The online retailers are showrooming us out of business. We’re being showroomed by consumers who browse our stores without buying.

Origin of showroom

First recorded in 1610–20; show + room

OTHER WORDS FROM showroom

show·room·ing, noun

Example sentences from the Web for showroom

British Dictionary definitions for showroom

showroom
/ (ˈʃəʊˌruːm, -ˌrʊm) /

noun

a room in which goods, such as cars, are on display