What constitutes a Date?

I had this chat with my friend tonight cuz he was relating to me his girl issues. Okay, "issue" is a bit of a strong word to use when he just has a crush on her and is trying to figure out if she likes him too. He was telling me how he's gone on "Two Dates" with her. And then he paused in his storytelling and said, "Wait... I don't even know if those were dates". As we tried to discuss what they did on their 'date' (outing/hangout/get together/whatever...), we came to a huge roadblock.

What the heck constitutes a date?

He said that it's when both parties have considerable tension and attraction towards each other.
I countered that with, "How do you know?" Like, if the girl is attracted to the guy, but if the guy just thinks it's a "friendly hangout" then ... is that still a date? Or vice versa. Or, if both parties are oblivious to any sorts of tensions/attractions then are they just 'group-hanging' or on a 'date'?

Then we talked about who paid for what and when. So, this girl he's 'hungout' with (I merely use this term cuz I don't even know if "date" is the right word to use here), apparently insists on paying equally each time the bill appears. And she apparently makes a huge fuss about it when he tries to take the bill from her and pay for it himself (so in the end, he consents cuz she apparently gets pretty upset about it). Now, as a girl, I'm iffy about this whole "who pays the bill" sitch. See, I'm on the side that if the girl insists on splitting it evenly (okay, or fine ... if the guy insists on splitting it evenly), then it's not a date. It's merely a 'friend' kind of thing. Cuz the whole even bill thing connotes even ground or neutrality. You want things to be balanced and you don't want things to be skewed in one direction. But at the same time, I know some girls who are interested in guys and on their dates, they split the bill evenly cuz the girl doesn't want the guy thinking that she's a gold digger of some sort and wants to 'assert' her place that she is a capable and successful woman. And then I know girls who don't mind if the guy pays cuz that's what he's supposed to do.

But... is that really what constitutes a date?

Or is it when the guy asks for the girl's number and then calls her to go hang out and then they eat dinner at some restaurant where afterwards, they go watch some lame movie. Is that a date? Or is it a date when someone you've recently gotten to know/reconnect with calls you up to go for drinks and then awkwardly stands super close to you cuz he knows you're cold cuz it's freezing outside? Or is it a date when some random guy you don't really know gets your number from your friend and then asks you to go for "Coffee? Or Tea? Or any sort of Beverage? or WATER" (*true story)? Or is it a date when the girl calls the guy up to go 'chill' and they end up just 'chilling' alone with each other? Or is it a date when you're shopping with your friend but all the store owners "Aw" at you two and think you're a couple cuz "you act like it"? Or is it a date when your friend is driving you home but you guys take a detour to some bubbletea house where you sit and chat for hours? Is that a date?

What the HECK is a date?

And has the word, "DATE", or the actual THING, the actual EVENT of a "DATE", some figment, some crude framework, some stupid fantasy of our imagination? Is it just what we make of it when we hang out alone with someone we're actually semi and deep down rather interested in and intrigued by (or the mere thought of them being interested in you)?

Question: What constitutes a date?
Answer: Anything you want it to be.