pre-date

When two people go out as friends, but one or both parties harbour feelings for the other. Such meetings are used to gauge one's feelings for the other, and usually precede the first date.

Not quite a date, where you go out with a person you might be interested in dating and they're totally interested (or vice versa), that you've previously met during an activity where you maybe weren't yourself (e.g. a waitress from a bar where you were totally hammered). A pre-date will normally occur at a location of one of the parties choice (generally the less interested one) where there are other people they know close by, in case the other person turns out to be a psycho (e.g. a serial rapist or axe murderer). First date activities can still happen on a pre-date (e.g. flirting, makeout, OTPHJ, etc.), but the date definitely does not count in any running total and will leave at least one of the parties clueless and looking forward to/nervous for the actual first date.

The initial informational-interview type meeting with someone met through an online dating service.

Typically involves a drink, right after work, during the week. Sometimes this psuedo-date can carry over into dinner if both parties are interested.

When person A takes a person of interest (person B) out to lunch but does not pay. Person B does not know it is a pre-date and is for person A to evaluate whether they would like to go on a date with the person. Each person pays for their own meal.

Pre-dating is the period of time before a couple becomes official. It often includes a significant amount of hanging out, flirting, and often times arouses suspicion amongst friends of either or both parties. Also see talking.

Time period which occurs before a couple is officially dating. This span of time includes a significant amount of hanging out (one on one or in a group), flirting, and usually arouses suspicion amongst friends of the two parties. Also see talking.

The awkward stage of a relationship where the two individuals are spending a lot of time together but have not actually admitted that they are dating.

It is not necessarily a desirable state to be in.

Can also be used to describe two friends of the opposite sex who spend all their time together but who are not actually dating but may as well be. Should not be confused with friends with benefits.