Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An activity that occupies one's spare time pleasantly.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To pass the time agreeably; sport; use diversion.
  • noun Sport; amusement; diversion; that which amuses and serves to make time pass agreeably.
  • noun Synonyms Pastime, Amusement, Recreation, Diversion, Entertainment, play. The italicized words keep near to their meaning by derivation. The central idea of a pastime is that it is so positively agreeable that it lets time slip by unnoticed: as, to turn work into pastime. Amusement has the double meaning of being kept from ennui and of finding occasion of mirth (see amuse). Recreation is that sort of play or agreeable occupation which refreshes the tired person, making him as good as new. Diversion is a stronger word than recreation, representing that which turns one aside from ordinary serious work or thought, and amuses him greatly. Entertainment has come to have great breadth, ranging from amusement in its narrower sense to diversion and to the idea of a set exercise, as a concert, or to the articles of food furnished to guests; generally, however, entertainment stands for that which is social and refined.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb rare To sport; to amuse one's self.
  • noun That which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably; sport; amusement; diversion.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun That which amuses, and serves to make time pass agreeably; sport; amusement; diversion; games
  • verb intransitive, obsolete To sport; to amuse oneself.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English passe tyme, translation of French passe temps : passer, to pass + temps, time.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Middle English passe tyme, calqued on Middle French passe-temps.

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