gap year
US /ˈɡæp jɪr/
UK /ˈɡæp jɪr/
1.
a period, typically an academic year, taken by a student as a break between secondary school and higher education or before or after university, used to travel or gain work experience.
:
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After graduating, she decided to take a gap year to travel around South America.
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Many students use their gap year to volunteer or gain work experience.