walkabout

American  

[wawk-uh-bout] / ˈwɔk əˌbaʊt /

noun

1. Chiefly British.

   1. a walking tour.

   2. 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.

2. Australian.

   1. a brief, informal leave from work, taken by an Aboriginal person to wander the bush, visit relatives, or return to Native life.

   2. absence from work.

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walkabout British  

/ ˈwɔːkəˌbaʊt /

noun

1. a periodic nomadic excursion into the Australian bush made by a native Australian

2. a walking tour

3. an occasion when celebrities, royalty, etc, walk among and meet the public

4. 1. to wander through the bush

   2. informal to be lost or misplaced

   3. informal to lose one's concentration

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Etymology

Origin of walkabout

First recorded in 1905–10; noun use of verb phrase walk about

Example Sentences

Murphy, who delighted fans with a walkabout in Centenary Square on his arrival at Symphony Hall, paid tribute to the viewers who helped catapult Peaky Blinders into a worldwide hit.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Kruglov had worked as a fiber optics cable installer in New York, but a little over a year ago, he left the city to embark on a walkabout.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2025

The king also made two highly successful state visits to Europe, addressing the German Parliament in serviceable German, and drawing excited crowds during a walkabout with President Emmanuel Macron of France.

From New York Times • Feb. 5, 2024

William, 41, shook hands, signed autographs and sportingly took selfies with many of them during a walkabout.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2023

It was on one such walkabout that he crossed the hare’s path.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• backpacking
• trek
• trip