basket picnic

A family enjoys a basket picnic in the park.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A picnic where food is carried in a basket: "basket picnic" refers to an outdoor meal or social gathering where participants bring food packed in a basket, typically for a casual, al fresco dining experience.
   • An outdoor excursion with a packed meal: In American English, "basket picnic" can also denote the event itself — a trip or outing to a natural setting (e.g., a park or campsite) where food is consumed from a basket.

Usage Examples

• (An outdoor meal with food carried in a basket.)
• (An outing involving a picnic with food from a basket.)

Advanced Usage

• "to have a basket picnic": to participate in or host such an event.

  • They decided to have a basket picnic in the meadow instead of eating indoors. (They chose an outdoor meal with basket-packed food.)

• "basket picnic lunch": a specific meal, often a midday one, prepared and carried in a basket.

  • She prepared a basket picnic lunch for the hiking trip. (A midday meal packed in a basket for outdoor consumption.)

Variants and Related Words

• Basket (n): a container made of woven material, used for carrying food or goods.

  • The basket was filled with fresh bread and cheese. (The woven container held food.)

• Picnic (n): an outdoor meal eaten in a natural setting.

  • We had a picnic by the river. (An outdoor meal.)

Synonyms

• Outdoor meal: a meal consumed outside, often in a park or countryside.
• Al fresco dining: dining in the open air, especially with food brought from home.

Related Idioms

• No direct idioms: The phrase "basket picnic" is not idiomatic; it is a compound noun describing a specific type of picnic. However, the word "picnic" itself appears in idioms like:
  • "It's no picnic": meaning something is difficult or unpleasant.

    • Climbing that mountain was no picnic. (It was a challenging task.)