Showing results for "outing"

• present participle of out.

outing

American  

[au-ting] / ˈaʊ tɪŋ /

noun

• outings
  plural

1. a pleasure trip, excursion, picnic, or the like.

   the annual outing for the senior class.

   Synonyms:

   jaunt

2. a public appearance, as by a participant in an athletic contest or event.

   The new player scored spectacularly in his second outing with the team.

3. the intentional exposure of a person’s denied or secret identity, orientation, or status, especially gay sexual orientation or transgender identity.

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outing British  

/ ˈaʊtɪŋ /

noun

1. a short outward and return journey; trip; excursion

2. informal the naming by homosexuals of other prominent homosexuals, often against their will

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• outings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of outing

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; see origin at out, -ing ¹

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Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

outing outings

He stopped pitching entirely after his outing on July 3 because of his sore knee.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Quickly we learned that our corner of the neighborhood was known as Franklin Hills, and that just about every eastward outing would take us across a funny little bridge with eight pointy turrets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

It was Alcaraz's first singles outing since his late-night quarter-final exit to Ben Shelton at the US Open.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

This record is, somehow, Tom Morello’s first official rock ‘n’ roll solo outing, despite everything that’s preceded it.

From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026

And after every outing, Dede would slip into the bedroom Minerva shared with Mate when their little sister was home from school.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Other families schedule regular outings whose primary purpose is simply to build relationships.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

The panel found Burwood told the woman she would not be able to take her on outings if she could not access her money.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Shannon and Narducy have built these outings around the R.E.M. catalog, with each tour centering on an album which is performed in full, from start to finish.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

Lauer had given up more than three runs in just two other outings since the Dodgers acquired him from the Blue Jays in mid-May, and Tuesday marked his shortest start.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

She’s just setting up outings and whatnot without my permission.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

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Related Words

• excursion
• expedition
• picnic
• vacation

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