boondocks

[boon-doks]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a remote rural area.

   The company moved to a small town out in the boondocks.

   Synonyms: boonies, backwoods, back country

2. an uninhabited area with thick natural vegetation, such as a backwoods or marsh.

verb (used without object)

1. boondock to camp, especially in a vehicle, in places other than recognized campgrounds, such as in a mall parking lot, a highway rest area, or a field.

   We called the inn to ask if we could boondock with our RV in their parking lot.

boondocks

/ ˈbuːnˌdɒks /

plural noun

1. wild, desolate, or uninhabitable country

2. a remote rural or provincial area

Word History and Origins

Origin of boondocks¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1940–45; from Tagalog bundok “mountain” + -s ³ (in locative derivations such as the sticks, the dumps, etc.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of boondocks¹

C20: from Tagalog bundok mountain