stamping ground

American  

Or stomping ground

noun

1. a habitual or favorite haunt.

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stamping ground British  

noun

1. a habitual or favourite meeting or gathering place

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stamping ground Idioms  

1. Also, old stamping ground. A habitual or favorite haunt, as in Whenever we visit, we go back to our old stamping ground, the drugstore nearest the high school. This term alludes to a traditional gathering place for horses or cattle, which stamp down the ground with their hooves. [Early 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of stamping ground

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

Off-off-Broadway, the natural stamping ground of alternative theater, arose in opposition to compromised opposition.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2023

"I would have thought it would be more William's stamping ground," says Lacey.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2022

Jonah Hill returns to his West L.A. stamping ground for his directorial debut, ‘Mid90s’

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2021

Mr. Leonard, who would become known for his haunting, noirish images of musicians, introduced him to the jazz clubs in Harlem and on 52nd Street that would become his artistic stamping ground.

From New York Times • Jan. 27, 2017

Sort of look over the old stamping ground generally.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston