safari

/səˈfɑri/

/səˈfɒri/

Other forms: safaris

A trip to watch wild animals — especially in Africa — is called a safari. If you travel to South Africa to photograph elephants in their natural habitat, you're on safari.

In Swahili, safari means "journey" or "expedition." The word has been used in English since the late 19th century to talk about hunting trips to Africa, the clothing these hunters would wear, and more recently, a journey taken to observe or photograph African animals. These days when someone talks about going on safari, they are probably planning to visit an African wildlife refuge or park.

Definitions of safari

1. noun

   a journey to hunt or see animals, especially in Africa
   synonyms: campaign, hunting expedition

   type of:

   expedition

   a journey organized for a particular purpose