hangout
UK[ˈhæŋaʊt]US[ˈhæŋˌaʊt]
n
a place where someone spends a lot of time or where people often meet socially
n
an instance or period of spending time relaxing or socializing in an informal way
Morpheme Breakdown
hang
out
hang
to be suspended, to fasten from above.
out
outside, outward.
Etymology
The word "hangout" is a modern compound formed from the phrasal verb "hang out," which emerged in American English in the early 20th century. The verb "hang," with its Old English roots in the concept of suspension, evolved a figurative sense of lingering or spending time in a place. The addition of the adverbial particle "out" specifies this lingering as occurring in a social, communal, or public context. Thus, the literal logic of "hanging" idly in an "out" space crystallized into a noun describing either the location for such socializing or the event itself.
Analysis
Structure: hang + out
- hang: From Old English hōn, meaning "to be suspended, to fasten from above." In this compound, it carries the figurative sense of "to spend time idly or in a relaxed manner."
- out: From Old English ūt, meaning "outside, outward." In this compound, it functions as an adverbial particle indicating the action is done in a public or social space, away from one's private home.
Examples
The local coffee shop became their favorite hangout.
We're just planning a casual hangout at the park this weekend.
The arcade was a popular teenage hangout in the 1980s.