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View synonyms for field day

field day

noun

  1. a day devoted to outdoor sports or athletic contests, as at a school.
  2. an outdoor gathering; outing; picnic.
  3. a day for military exercises and display.
  4. an occasion or opportunity for unrestricted activity, amusement, etc.:

    The children had a field day with their new skateboards.



field day

noun

  1. a day spent in some special outdoor activity, such as nature study or sport
  2. a day-long competition between amateur radio operators using battery or generator power, the aim being to make the most contacts with other operators around the world
  3. military a day devoted to manoeuvres or exercises, esp before an audience
  4. informal.
    a day or time of exciting or successful activity

    the children had a field day with their new toys

    1. a day or series of days devoted to the demonstration of farm machinery in country centres
    2. a combined open day and sale on a stud property
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of field day1

First recorded in 1740–50
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Idioms and Phrases

A time of great pleasure, activity, or opportunity, as in The press had a field day with this sensational murder trial . This colloquial expression, dating from the 1700s, originally referred to a day set aside for military maneuvers and exercises, and later was extended to a similar day for sports and games. Since the early 1800s it has been used more loosely.
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Example Sentences

We were having a field-day, and my side of the battle was advancing in sections under shell-fire over fairly flat country.

It was a field-day for the women, for every shop had its strong temptation, and the world seemed on dress-parade.

To brigade the army was impossible, and every field-day was a scene of ludicrous confusion.

The only difficulty to our participating in such a field-day would be the expense for travelling to and fro.

Moreover, to accompany Gatacre on a field-day was a lesson in horsemanship.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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