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walkabout
[ wawk-uh-bout ]
/ ˈwɔk əˌbaʊt /
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noun
Chiefly British.
- a walking tour.
- an informal public stroll taken by members of the royal family or by a political figure for the purpose of greeting and being seen by the public.
Australian.
- a brief, informal leave from work, taken by an Aboriginal person to wander the bush, visit relatives, or return to Native life.
- absence from work.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of walkabout
First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase walk about
Words nearby walkabout
Walhalla, wali, waling, walk, walkable, walkabout, walk all over, walkaround pay, walkathon, walk a tightrope, walkaway
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use walkabout in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for walkabout
walkabout
/ (ˈwɔːkəˌbaʊt) /
noun
a periodic nomadic excursion into the Australian bush made by a native Australian
a walking tour
an occasion when celebrities, royalty, etc, walk among and meet the public
go walkabout Australian
- to wander through the bush
- informal to be lost or misplaced
- informal to lose one's concentration
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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