See also: walk about

English

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Etymology

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Deverbal from walk about; the Australian aboriginal word wokabat is also derived therefrom.

Noun

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walkabout (plural walkabouts)

  1. (Australian aboriginal) A nomadic excursion into the bush, especially one taken by young teenage boys in certain ancient-custom honoring tribes.
  2. A walking trip.
  3. (British) A public stroll by some celebrity to meet a group of people informally.
    • September 8 2022, Stephen Bates, “Queen Elizabeth II obituary”, in The Guardian[1]:
      While the world altered dramatically during the course of her reign, the monarchy did too, though rather more imperceptibly: the walkabouts that increasingly characterised royal appearances, the pop concerts at Buckingham Palace, the throwing open of the royal palaces to visitors – even the paying of income tax, and royal podcasts – would have been inconceivable as innovations at the time Elizabeth came to the throne.
  4. An absence, usually from a regular place with a possibility of a return.

Derived terms

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Translations

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