Definition: Hiking

From New World Encyclopedia

Etymology

From English dialectal hyke (to walk vigorously), probably a Northern form of hitch, from Middle English hytchen, hichen, icchen (to move, jerk, stir). Cognate with Scots hyke (to move with a jerk), dialectal German hicken (to hobble, walk with a limp), Danish hinke (to hop).

Noun

hiking (usually uncountable, plural hikings)

  1. Walking in the countryside for pleasure or sport.
    To protect the glacier, officials have limited the number of visitors to 10,000 a day and have banned hiking on the ice.
  2. The act by which something is hiked, or raised sharply.

Usage notes

This word is also the present participle of the verb "hike."

Derived terms

  • hiking boot
  • hiking pole

Credits

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