avocation

a hobby in addition to a principal occupation: The judge’s avocation is acting in little theater productions.; a person’s regular occupation or calling

Not to be confused with:

evocation – a calling forth: an evocation of earlier times

av·o·ca·tion

(ăv′ō-kā′shən)

An activity taken up in addition to one's regular work or profession, usually for enjoyment; a hobby.

[Latin āvocātiō, āvocātiōn-, diversion, from āvocātus, past participle of āvocāre, to call away : ā-, ab-, away; see ab-¹ + vocāre, to call; see wek^w- in Indo-European roots.]

av′o·ca′tion·al adj.

av′o·ca′tion·al·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

avocation

(ˌævəˈkeɪʃən)

1. formal a minor occupation undertaken as a diversion

2. not standard a person's regular job or vocation

[C17: from Latin āvocātiō a calling away, diversion from, from āvocāre to distract, from vocāre to call]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

av•o•ca•tion

(ˌæv əˈkeɪ ʃən)

1. something a person does in addition to a principal occupation, esp. for pleasure; hobby.

2. a person's regular occupation or calling; vocation.

3. Archaic. diversion or distraction.

[1520–30; < Latin āvocātiō distraction]

av`o•ca′tion•al, adj.

Translations

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

avocation

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007