excursion

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ex·cur·sion

(ĭk-skûr′zhən)

1. A usually short journey made for pleasure; an outing.

2. A roundtrip in a passenger vehicle at a special low fare.

3. A group taking a short pleasure trip together.

4. A diversion or deviation from a main topic; a digression.

5. Physics

a. A movement from and back to a mean position or axis in an oscillating or alternating motion.

b. The distance traversed in such a movement.

[Latin excursiō, excursiōn-, from excursus, past participle of excurrere, to run out : ex-, ex- + currere, to run; see kers- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

excursion

(ɪkˈskɜːʃən; -ʒən)

1. a short outward and return journey, esp for relaxation, sightseeing, etc; outing

2. a group of people going on such a journey

3. (Railways) (modifier) of or relating to special reduced rates offered on certain journeys by rail: an excursion ticket.

4. a digression or deviation; diversion: an excursion into politics.

5. (Military) (formerly) a raid or attack

6. (General Physics) physics

a. a movement from an equilibrium position, as in an oscillation

b. the magnitude of this displacement

7. (Physiology) the normal movement of a movable bodily organ or part from its resting position, such as the lateral movement of the lower jaw

8. (Mechanical Engineering) machinery the locus of a point on a moving part, esp the deflection of a whirling shaft

[C16: from Latin excursiō an attack, from excurrere to run out, from currere to run]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ex•cur•sion

(ɪkˈskɜr ʒən, -ʃən)

n.

1. a short trip or outing to some place.

2. the persons making such a trip.

3. a trip on a train, ship, etc., at a reduced rate.

4. a deviation or digression.

5. the displacement of a body or a point from a mean position or neutral value, as in an oscillation.

6. an accidental increase in the power level of a reactor, usu. forcing its emergency shutdown.

[1565–75; < Latin excursiō sortie, journey]

ex•cur′sion•al, ex•cur′sion•ar′y, adj.

journey

– trip – voyage – excursion

1. 'journey'

A journey is the process of travelling from one place to another by land, air, or sea.

There is a direct train from London Paddington to Penzance. The journey takes around 5 hours.

This service will save thousands of long-distance lorry journeys on Britain's roads.

2. 'trip'

A trip is the process of travelling from one place to another, staying there, usually for a short time, and coming back again.

Lucy is away on a business trip to Milan.

They went on a day trip to the seaside.

3. 'voyage'

A voyage is a long journey from one place to another in a ship or spacecraft.

The ship's voyage is over.

...the voyage to the moon in 1972.

4. 'excursion'

An excursion is a short trip made either as a tourist or in order to do a particular thing.

The tourist office organizes excursions to the palace.

5. verbs used with 'journey', 'trip', 'voyage' and 'excursion'

You make or go on a journey.

He made the long journey to India.

You take or go on a trip.

We took a bus trip to Manchester.

You make a voyage.

The ship made the 4,000-kilometre voyage across the Atlantic.

You go on an excursion.

Students went on an excursion to the Natural History Museum.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'do' with any of these words. Don't say, for example, 'We did a bus trip'.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	excursion - a journey taken for pleasure; "many summer excursions to the shore"; "it was merely a pleasure trip"; "after cautious sashays into the field" jaunt, outing, pleasure trip, junket, sashay, expedition journey, journeying - the act of traveling from one place to another airing - a short excursion (a walk or ride) in the open air; "he took the dogs for an airing" field trip - a group excursion (to a museum or the woods or some historic place) for firsthand examination
	2.	excursion - wandering from the main path of a journey digression journey, journeying - the act of traveling from one place to another

excursion

noun

1. trip, airing, tour, journey, outing, expedition, ramble, day trip, jaunt, awayday, pleasure trip We also recommend a full day excursion to the Upper Douro.

2. digression, episode, wandering, deviation, detour, excursus All these alarms and excursions diverted attention from the main point of the meeting.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

excursion

noun

1. A usually short journey taken for pleasure:

jaunt, junket, outing, trip.

2. An instance of digressing:

aside, deviation, digression, divagation, divergence, divergency, excursus, irrelevancy, parenthesis, tangent.

Translations

نُزْهَه، رِحْلَه، جَوْلَه

ekskursionturudflugt

Ausflug Exkurs

excursión

excursion incursion randonnée

skemmti- eîa skoîunarferî

gita escursione

ekskursijaišvyka

ekskursija

izlet

excursion

[ɪksˈkɜːʃən]

A. N (= journey) → excursión f (fig) → digresión f

B. CPD excursion ticket N → billete m de excursión
excursion train N → tren m de recreo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

excursion

[ɪkˈskɜː^rʃ^ən ɪkˈskɜː^rʒ^ən] n

(= trip) → excursion f
an excursion to → une excursion à
to go on an excursion → partir en excursion
to take sb on an excursion → emmener qn en excursion

an excursion into (fig) (= foray into) → une excursion dans

excursion

n → Ausflug m; (fig, into a subject also) → Exkurs m; to go on an excursion → einen Ausflug machen

excursion

excursion ticket

n → verbilligte Fahrkarte (zu einem Ausflugsort)

excursion train

n → Sonderzug m

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

excursion

[ɪksˈkɜːʃ/ən] n (journey) → escursione f, gita (fig) → digressione f

excursion

(ikˈskəːʃən) , ((American) -ʒən) noun

a trip; an outing. an excursion to the seaside.

References in classic literature ?

For months the great pleasure excursion to Europe and the Holy Land was chatted about in the newspapers everywhere in America and discussed at countless firesides.

The undersigned will make an excursion as above during the coming season, and begs to submit to you the following programme:

View in context

Indeed, I thought that this halt would mark the termination of our walk; but I was mistaken, for, instead of returning to the Nautilus, Captain Nemo continued his bold excursion. The ground was still on the incline, its declivity seemed to be getting greater, and to be leading us to greater depths.

View in context

Besides The Prelude, of which we have already spoken, Wordsworth's other long poems are The Excursion and The White Doe of Rylstone.

View in context

Besides these there were standard volumes of poetry, published by Phillips & Sampson, from worn- out plates; for a birthday present my mother got me Wordsworth in this shape, and I am glad to think that I once read the "Excursion" in it, for I do not think I could do so now, and I have a feeling that it is very right and fit to have read the "Excursion." To be honest, it was very hard reading even then, and I cannot truthfully pretend that I have ever liked Wordsworth except in parts, though for the matter of that, I do not suppose that any one ever did.

View in context

Excursion to Colonia del Sacramiento -- Value of an Estancia -- Cattle, how counted -- Singular Breed of Oxen -- Perforated Pebbles -- Shepherd Dogs -- Horses broken-in, Gauchos riding -- Character of Inhabitants -- Rio Plata -- Flocks of Butterflies -- Aeronaut Spiders -- Phosphorescence of the Sea -- Port Desire -- Guanaco -- Port St.

View in context

Every seat was crowded, too; for it was Sunday, and consequently everybody was taking a "pleasure" excursion. Hot!

View in context

The chief of the Omahas, too, on returning from a hunting excursion, reported that two men had been killed some distance above, by a band of Sioux.

View in context

The second part is The Excursion. The third part was only planned; but the first book of the first part was left in manuscript by Wordsworth--though in manuscript, it is said, in no great condition of forwardness for the printers.

View in context

They were on an excursion somewhere up in the bush - the very excursion that laid the foundation of Trent's fortune."

View in context

That they had arrived at Edinburgh a few Days before and from thence had made daily Excursions into the Country around in the Stage Coach they were then in, from one of which Excursions they were at that time returning.

View in context

They had several horses with them; and, as they generally go on foot on warlike excursions, it was concluded that these horses had been captured in the course of their maraudings.