pastimepas‧time /ˈpɑːstaɪm $ ˈpæs-/ ●○○ noun [countable] 
Word Origin
Reading was her favourite pastime.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINpastime
ExamplesOrigin:
1400-1500 Translation of French passe-temps ‘pass time’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- A Gallup poll found gardening to be America's leading pastime.
- As a pastime, keeping and riding horses has always been very expensive.
- Gardening is my mother's favourite pastime.
- In southern Europe, shooting birds is a popular pastime.
- Our cat's favourite pastime is sitting at the window and watching the people walk by.
- Watching talk shows has become a national pastime in this country.
- But there is also something worrying about a plastic box outwitting humans at this most cerebral of pastimes.
- But they are often quite creative in figuring out mutually interesting pastimes.
- Evangelicalism became an especially potent force in the attack on traditional pastimes.
- His favourite pastimes were shooting and golf.
- Living as he does in Moycullen, he has ample local opportunities to indulge in these pastimes.
- No doubt it was a deadly pastime in those years.
- Surely there are features of human nature other than this one overexposed and troublesome procreative pastime.
THESAURUS► hobby
Collocations an activity that you enjoy, and that you like to spend time doing when you are not working: · Stamp collecting has been a hobby of mine since I was a child.· We had to write an essay about our hobbies.
► interest something that you are interested in and like doing or talking about: · Her interests were the same as most young girls – pop music, boys and clothes.
► pastime especially written something that you do because it is enjoyable or interesting: · Gardening was her mother's favourite pastime.· In England talking about the weather is a national pastime (=something that a lot of people in a country do).
► passion something that you feel extremely interested in and care a lot about: · Football was his passion.· For the French, food is a passion.
► pursuit formal an activity that you spend time doing – used especially in the following phrases: · The hills and lakes are used for a variety of outdoor pursuits.· Her son wasn't really interested in academic pursuits.· Mountaineering, golfing, and fishing were among his leisure pursuits
Longman Language Activatorsomething that people do for enjoyment► activity · What kind of activities do you enjoy?outdoor/indoor activities · Rebecca has always loved hiking and other outdoor activities.leisure/social/cultural etc activities · The retirement home arranges social and cultural activities for its seniors.lay on activities British (=provide them) · In the afternoon, there will be plenty of activities laid on for the kids.
► pursuits formal things that people do because they enjoy them: leisure/outdoor/artistic etc pursuits: · Her husband never gave her much support in her artistic pursuits.· After he retired, my grandfather was able to devote his time to literary pursuits.
► pastime an activity that is pleasant, relaxing and usually not very difficult, that you do when you are not working, because you enjoy it: · Our cat's favourite pastime is sitting at the window and watching the people walk by.· Watching talk shows has become a national pastime in this country.
► something to do something that you can do and that will stop you feeling bored when you have nothing to do: · I don't mind helping - it'll give me something to do.· He really needs something to do in his spare time to keep him out of trouble.
► hobby something that you do for interest and enjoyment regularly over a long period of time, for example, collecting things or making models: · My hobbies are wind-surfing and playing the guitar.· I never saw my song-writing as anything more than a hobby until recently.
something you are interested in► hobby an activity that you enjoy and think is interesting, and that you like to spend time doing when you are not working: · What are your hobbies?· Stamp collecting has been a hobby of mine ever since I was a child.take up a hobby: · When people retire, they often take up new hobbies and start to make new friends.
► interest something you like to spend time doing or studying when you are not working, because you think it is interesting or entertaining: · Her interests were the same as most young girls -- pop music, boys and clothes.· Golf is also one of his interests.· Josie isn't really an archaeologist, it's just an interest of hers.
► pastime something that you enjoy doing and think is interesting, that you do in the time when you are not working: · As a pastime, keeping and riding horses has always been very expensive.· Gardening is my mother's favourite pastime.· In southern Europe, shooting birds is a popular pastime.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► favourite
something that you do because you think it is enjoyable or interesting → hobby: · Now they are claiming £10,000 damages against Church Fish Farm for taking all the fun out of their favourite pastime.· His favourite pastimes were shooting and golf.· Another favourite pastime was planning raids on the various apartments and cars owned by their friends.· One of Endill's favourite pastimes with the Bookman was making things with him.· Indeed it had never been a favourite pastime of hers.· Lawren was therefore well off and able to indulge in his favourite pastime of painting.· The three friends sat down and enjoyed their favourite pastime - eyeing up the women in the theatre-bar.· My favourite pastimes are: 1.
► national· Overloading circuits was a national pastime.· And others he could not graft on to the national pastime.· So why hasn't cricket - our glorious national pastime - managed to give birth to a popular cricket fanzine?· But that was before Washington bashing became the national pastime.· His quest for a wife had developed into a national pastime.· Baseball may be our national pastime, but March Madness is our national passion.· Turning the other cheek is the national pastime.· Since then, talk shows have become a national pastime.
► popular· Kids, probably - joy-riding was a popular pastime among the city's bored teenagers.· They had their own uniforms and military codes, and belonging to one of the squadrons became a popular Sunday pastime.· Minutes after her announcement, digging foxholes be-came a popular pastime.· King Ewen's brainwave remained a popular pastime until the beginning of the Middle Ages.· Painting seems to be a popular pastime - but is it an appropriate image?· In recent years the discrediting of quangos has become a popular political pastime.
VERB► become· Shooting parrots therefore becomes a pastime for some people.· They had their own uniforms and military codes, and belonging to one of the squadrons became a popular Sunday pastime.· Necking, petting, become gratifying enough pastimes and I am lucky with the boys in my life.· Anyway, the chipping of the clay has become a national pastime, and a pretty rotten one at that.· But that was before Washington bashing became the national pastime.· In recent years the discrediting of quangos has become a popular political pastime.· Since then, talk shows have become a national pastime.
Reading was her favourite pastime.