Definitions

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

  • noun An activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of calling aside or diverting from some object or employment.
  • noun The authoritative removal of a case or process from an inferior to a superior court.
  • noun The state of being called, or of wandering aside or away; a diversion of the thoughts.
  • noun Hence—4. That which calls one away from one's proper business; a subordinate or occasional occupation; a diversion or distraction.
  • noun A person's regular business or occupation; vocation; calling.

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

  • noun Obs. or Archaic A calling away; a diversion.
  • noun That which calls one away from one's regular employment or vocation.
  • noun Pursuits; duties; affairs which occupy one's time; usual employment; vocation.

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

  • noun obsolete A calling away; a diversion.
  • noun A hobby or recreational or leisure pursuit.
  • noun That which calls one away from one's regular employment or vocation.
  • noun Pursuits; duties; affairs which occupy one's time; usual employment; vocation.

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

  • noun an auxiliary activity

Etymologies

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

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

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin āvocātiōnem, from avocō.

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Examples

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  • Pursue even the most prosy things as you would your avocation. #GREs

    August 10, 2012