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Definition of picnic noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

picnic

noun
 
/ˈpɪknɪk/
 
/ˈpɪknɪk/
Idioms
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  1. an occasion when people pack a meal and take it to eat outdoors, especially in the countryside
    • It's a nice day. Let's go for a picnic.
    • We had a picnic beside the river.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • family
    • school
    • church
    verb + picnic
    • go for
    • go on
    • have
    picnic + noun
    • basket
    • bench
    • blanket
    See full entry
  2. the meal, usually consisting of sandwiches, salad and fruit, etc. that you take with you when you go on a picnic
    • Let's eat our picnic by the lake.
    • a picnic lunch
    • a picnic basket
    • We took a picnic and spent the day watching the races.
    • Will you help me make a picnic?
    Topics Cooking and eatingb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • family
    • school
    • church
    verb + picnic
    • go for
    • go on
    • have
    picnic + noun
    • basket
    • bench
    • blanket
    See full entry
  3. Word Originmid 18th cent. (denoting a social event at which each guest contributes a share of the food): from French pique-nique, of unknown origin.
Idioms
be no picnic
  1. (informal) to be difficult and cause a lot of problems
    • Bringing up a family when you're unemployed is no picnic.
    Topics Difficulty and failurec2
See picnic in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
generic
adjective
 
 
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