outing

/ˈaʊdɪŋ/

/ˈaʊtɪŋ/

Other forms: outings

An outing is a short trip, especially one that takes no longer than a day. For example, you might ask your pal if he'd like to go on an outing to the zoo.

A summer outing might be a picnic or a day at the beach, while a winter outing could consist of a hike in the snow or a shopping trip and lunch at a restaurant. Any brief, fun journey can be called an outing. In the fourteenth century, an outing was simply the "action of going out," and in the fifteenth century it started to mean "act of putting out" as well. By the 1800s it had gained today's definition.

Definitions of outing

1. noun

   a journey taken for pleasure
   synonyms: excursion, expedition, jaunt, junket, pleasure trip, sashay

   types:

   airing

   a short excursion (a walk or ride) in the open air

   field trip

   a group excursion (to a museum or the woods or some historic place) for firsthand examination

   type of:

   journey, journeying

   the act of traveling from one place to another
2. noun

   a day devoted to an outdoor social gathering
   synonyms: field day, picnic

   type of:

   holiday, vacation

   leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure