avocation

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“
I'm now pursuing my long-term avocation, the stock market.

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Definitions (10)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun An activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby.
  2. noun One's regular work or profession.
  3. noun Archaic A distraction or diversion.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (5)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

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Examples (50)

  • As the war progressed the daily newspaper sales became very profitable, and I gave up the vegetable store The hours of this occupation were long, but the work was not particularly heavy, and Edison soon found opportunity for his favorite avocation--chemical experimentation. —  Edison, His Life and Inventions
  • If the authorities remarked on her curious avocation, they did so among themselves. —  The Ship Who Sang
  • He had a genuine horror of publicity; as a result he almost never went to a theater, a prize fight, or walked the streets any more than he had to But his avocation was helping other people out of trouble, so he used the skyscraper in order that persons with trouble would not have difficulty finding him People's troubles came to him in many fashions. —  071 - Mad Mesa
  • I practice law here in Thetford, and for some time my avocation has been chronicling the multifarious malfeasances and debaucheries of the House of Universal Disgust and the so-called Preacher. —  AnalogSFF,May2006
  • I'm now pursuing my long-term avocation, the stock market. —  pfblogs.org: The Ad-Free Personal Finance Blogs Aggregator
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin āvocātiō, āvocātiōn-, diversion, from āvocātus, past participle of āvocāre, to call away : ā-, ab-, away; see ab-1 + vocāre, to call; see wekw- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Latin avocatio(n-), a calling off, interruption, from avocare, call off: see avocate.
 

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/ævəˈkeɪʃən/
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