walkabout

noun

walk·about | \ ˈwȯ-kə-ˌbau̇t

Definition of walkabout

1 : a short period of wandering bush life engaged in by an Australian aborigine as an occasional interruption of regular work —often used in the phrase go walkabout the man who went walkabout was making a ritual journey— Bruce Chatwin

2 : something (such as a journey) similar to a walkabout

3 : a walking tour especially, British : one in which a well-known person mingles with the public went walkabout in the streets

Examples of walkabout in a Sentence

Many people gathered to meet the Queen during her walkabout.

Recent Examples on the Web Eight years after winning the Republican presidential nomination, Romney appears willing to govern, if not like a conservative Democrat, then a bit like John McCain during his walkabout phase in the early 2000s. — Kevin Mahnken, The New Republic, "Mitt Romney’s Party of One," 12 Feb. 2021 Nor will anyone ever know what the big male may have had for dinner during its walkabout journey, but Tanner has a pretty good idea. — Matt Williams, Dallas News, "Sightings of mountain lions are rare," 16 Jan. 2021 Fitzpatrick located the goat on the oceanfront but apparently, the goat was not done with his walkabout. — Michael Hollan, Fox News, "Police rescue pet goat from near-freezing water in Maine after it flees vet's office," 29 Dec. 2020 After the royal walkabout, with the family driven off in a motorcade, Ms. Sirinrat’s face is bathed in sweat. — Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, "Thai royalists defend king amid protests: ‘We will not abandon him’," 17 Nov. 2020 During his recent walkabout here, a CNN correspondent was allowed to ask him on camera about his reaction to the protesters. — Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, "Thai royalists defend king amid protests: ‘We will not abandon him’," 17 Nov. 2020 Queen Elizabeth was spotted wearing the stunning jewels during a royal walkabout in 1977, in honor of the Silver Jubilee. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Wore the Queen's Pearl and Diamond Earrings on Remembrance Day," 8 Nov. 2020 Officers arrived and helped find the bovine on a walkabout. — Joan Rusek, cleveland, "How now, brown cow goes on walkabout: Russell Township Police Blotter," 2 Sep. 2020 Whether it’s the Icelandic sagas or the Aboriginal walkabout, journeys are deeply ingrained in the human psyche. — Adam Seessel, Fortune, "Valuation: The coronavirus is crushing airlines, but these stocks should bounce back," 24 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'walkabout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.