picnic

1 of 2

noun

pic·​nic ˈpik-(ˌ)nik How to pronounce picnic (audio)
often attributive
1
: an excursion or outing with food usually provided by members of the group and eaten in the open
also : the food provided for a picnic
2
a
: a pleasant or amusingly carefree experience
I don't expect being married to be a picnicJosephine Pinckney
b
: an easy task or feat
3
: a shoulder of pork with much of the butt removed
picnicky adjective

picnic

2 of 2

verb

picnicked; picnicking

intransitive verb

: to go on a picnic : eat in picnic fashion
picnicker noun

Examples of picnic in a Sentence

Noun We decided to have a picnic on the beach. We ate our picnic by the lake. The annual school picnic is this weekend. This winter is a picnic compared with last year's. Verb We picnicked in the park.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Clean-up thoroughly after picnics in the yard or on the deck. Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024 The picnic area captures that distinct uncanniness of L.A.’s hauntings, with a beautiful expanse of lawn juxtaposed against the dilapidated remnants of a mogul’s dying empire. Jess Joho, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024
Verb
First-time visitors will want to check the Colosseum and Vatican off their lists, but there are countless things to do in Rome, from picnicking in the shadow of ancient aqueducts to peeking inside aristocratic palaces, not to mention tasting local specialties like carbonara and cacio e pepe. Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2024 Meet Matisse, then picnic among ancient ruins Henri Matisse wasn’t born in Nice, but the French painter spent much of his life here until his death in 1954. Chloé Braithwaite, New York Times, 25 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for picnic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picnic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

German or French; German Picknick, from French pique-nique

First Known Use

Noun

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1815, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of picnic was in 1815

Dictionary Entries Near picnic

Cite this Entry

“Picnic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picnic. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

picnic

1 of 2 noun
pic·​nic ˈpik-(ˌ)nik How to pronounce picnic (audio)
1
: a meal eaten outdoors often during a trip away from home
2
a
: a pleasant or carefree experience
breaking a leg is no picnic
b
: an easy task
3
: a shoulder of pork that is often smoked and boned
picnicky adjective

picnic

2 of 2 verb
picnicked; picnicking
: to go on a picnic : eat as if on a picnic
picnicker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on picnic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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