past time vs pastime
pastime
Definitions
noun
- a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts (usually pleasantly)
Examples
The clergyman and his son pricked up their ears at this, photography being with them only a degree less absorbing a pastime than that of walking; Ron awoke suddenly to the remembrance that his half-plate camera had never been unpacked since his arrival; and the three vied with each other in asking questions about the proposed excursion, and in urging that a date should be fixed.
However, O'Kane's favourite pastime is hillwalking in the Wicklow hills.
Hare hunting is a cruel and barbaric pastime carried out without respect for our wildlife.
