# field day

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A day for maneuvers and tactical exercises in the field (across the landscape).
2. A school day for athletic events.
3. A day of class taken away from school for a field trip.
4. A great time or a great deal to do; a period of bustling activity.
5. A great time or a great deal to do, at somebody else's expense.
6. A day on which there is top-to-bottom all-hands cleaning.

## Etymology
Some postulate the idiomatic usage is derived from the "parade day" military use. A parade is much easier than the soldiers’ usual drilling and intense exercise.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/field-day