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definitions

town

[toun]
|

noun

adjective

of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or belonging to a town: town laws; town government; town constable.

Idioms

    go to town, Informal.
    1. to be successful.
    2. to do well, efficiently, or speedily: The engineers really went to town on those plans.
    3. to lose restraint or inhibition; overindulge.
    on the town,
    1. Informal.in quest of entertainment in a city's nightclubs, bars, etc.; out to have a good time: a bunch of college kids out on the town.
    2. supported by the public charity of the state or community; on relief.
    paint the town. paint(def 16).

Origin of town

before 900; Middle English toun, tun, Old English tūn walled or fenced place, courtyard, farmstead, village; cognate with Old Norse tūn homefield, German Zaun fence, Old Irish dún fort
Related formstown·less, adjectivein·ter·town, adjective

Synonym study

1. See community.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for on the town

town

noun

  1. a densely populated urban area, typically smaller than a city and larger than a village, having some local powers of government and a fixed boundary
  2. (as modifier)town life Related adjective: urban
a city, borough, or other urban area
(in the US) a territorial unit of local government that is smaller than a county; township
the nearest town or commercial district
London or the chief city of an area
the inhabitants of a town
the permanent residents of a university town as opposed to the university staff and studentsCompare gown (def. 3)
go to town
  1. to make a supreme or unrestricted effort; go all out
  2. Australian and NZ informalto lose one's temper
on the town seeking out entertainments and amusements
Derived Formstownish, adjectivetownless, adjective

Word Origin for town

Old English tūn village; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse tūn, Old High German zūn fence, Old Irish dūn
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
Word Origin and History for on the town

town

n.

Old English tun "enclosure, garden, field, yard; farm, manor; homestead, dwelling house, mansion;" later "group of houses, village, farm," from Proto-Germanic *tunaz, *tunan (cf. Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old Frisian tun "fence, hedge," Middle Dutch tuun "fence," Dutch tuin "garden," Old High German zun, German Zaun "fence, hedge"), an early borrowing from Celtic *dunom (cf. Old Irish dun, Welsh din "fortress, fortified place, camp," dinas "city;" see down (n.2)).

Meaning "inhabited place larger than a village" (mid-12c.) arose after the Norman conquest, to correspond to French ville. The modern word is partially a generic term, applicable to cities of great size as well as places intermediate between a city and a village; such use is unusual, the only parallel is perhaps Latin oppidium, which occasionally was applied to Rome or Athens (each of which was more properly an urbs).

First record of town hall is from late 15c. Townie "townsman, one raised in a town" is recorded from 1827, often opposed to the university students or circus workers who were just passing through. Town ball, version of baseball, is recorded from 1852. Town car (1907) originally was a motor car with an enclosed passenger compartment and open driver's seat. On the town "living the high life" is from 1712. Go to town "do (something) energetically" is first recorded 1933. Man about town "one constantly seen at public and private functions" is attested from 1734.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with on the town

on the town

Also, out on the town. In spirited pursuit of entertainment offered by a town or city, as in We went out on the town last night. [Early 1700s]

town

In addition to the idiom beginning with town

  • town and gown

also see:

  • all over the place (town)
  • ghost town
  • go to town
  • man about town
  • one-horse town
  • only game in town
  • on the town
  • out of town
  • paint the town red
  • talk of the town
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.