tour

noun \ ˈtu̇r , sense 2 is also ˈtau̇(-ə)r \

Definition of tour

1 a :a journey for business, pleasure, or education often involving a series of stops and ending at the starting point; also :something resembling such a tour

a tour of the history of philosophy

b :a series of professional tournaments (as in golf or tennis)

c :a brief turn :round

2 a :a period during which an individual or unit is on a specific duty or at one place

a tour of duty

b :one's turn in an orderly schedule :shift

See tour defined for English-language learners

See tour defined for kids

Examples of tour in a Sentence

We went on a tour of Italy.
They went on a driving tour of New England.
They went on a tour of the city.
We were taken on a tour of the school.
We went on a guided tour of the museum.
They gave us a tour of their new house.
during his tour in Vietnam
He served a tour of duty in Germany.

Recent Examples of tour from the Web

Other stops along the tour include Gurnee, Warrenville, Robbins, Decatur, Bloomington, Marion, Springfield and Taylorville.

— chicago tribune staff, chicagotribune.com, "Morning Spin: Pritzker starts six-day statewide bus tour Wednesday," 30 Aug. 2017
Tours will be weather dependent and will begin at the Railway Depot at 10 a.m. Register for tours by Wednesday prior to the desired Friday at ekapitan@taltree.org or 219-742-8147.

— Post-Tribune, "Community news," 28 Aug. 2017
Otherwise, formal tours of the 110-foot structure (and nearby museum) are available daily through mid-October.

— lindsay silberman, Town & Country, "The Perfect Montauk Weekend," 23 Aug. 2017
The vice president’s cleanup tour will conclude Wednesday in Doral, home to the largest Venezuelan immigrant community in the U.S.

— patricia mazzei, miamiherald, "In Miami, Pence will try to escape long shadow of Trump’s military talk on Venezuela," 22 Aug. 2017
And Jones plans something of a listening tour to learn from Block employees, its tax preparers and its clients.

— mark davis, kansascity, "H&R Block taps former Uber president Jeff Jones as CEO," 22 Aug. 2017
There is a Sound of Music tour (of course), and Golda Schultz has taken it.

— jay nordlinger, National Review, "Salzburg Journal, Part I," 21 Aug. 2017
The tour ended at Dirty Dancing Remembered, a two-room cabin on the resort’s grounds devoted to behind-the-scenes photos and ephemera.

— katie calautti, vanityfair.com, "At the Dirty Dancing Lodge, Fans Can Have the Time of Their Lives," 18 Aug. 2017
Tickets: Start at $65/person ($169/person for a front-of-line ticket, or $269 for the R.I.P. experience, which includes dinner, a VIP tour, and front-of-line access) when purchased online.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "It’s August, Which Means Tickets to L.A.’s Biggest Halloween Haunts Are Now on Sale," 16 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tour.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tour

Middle English, from Anglo-French tur, tourn turning, circuit, journey — more at turn

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

tour Synonyms

Synonyms

hitch, stint, tenure, term

Related Words

shift, watch; go, turn; duration, standing, time; cycle, span, spell, stretch; life, life span, lifetime, run

tour

verb

Definition of tour

transitive verb

1 :to make a tour of

2 :to present (something, such as a theatrical production) on a tour

intransitive verb

:to make a tour

See tour defined for English-language learners

Examples of tour in a Sentence

We'll tour the museum tomorrow.
We toured around for several weeks last summer.
“Are you here to study?” “No, I'm just touring.”
Is the band touring this year?
The show has toured the country.

Recent Examples of tour from the Web

The Alabama Department of Labor will host a job fair in October in Birmingham for disabled people, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Monday after touring the LINCPoint adult Day Program for Adults with Disabilities at United Ability in Birmingham.

— kelly poe, AL.com, "Job fair for disabled Alabamians planned for October in Birmingham," 28 Aug. 2017
Tour the facilities, watch or participate in a sample class, meet teaching artists, enjoy family-friendly activities such as face painting and Princess Reads A Lot, have refreshments and win prizes.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "What to do with the kids this weekend: World fest, free parks, open houses," 23 Aug. 2017
Field trips toured local startups. Academically, however, ChiTech soon struggled.

— chris berdik, The Atlantic, "How Student Internships Saved a Chicago School," 23 Aug. 2017
Famous restaurant a true local wouldn't be caught dead in: Tour d'Argent.

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to B.S. Your Way to a Seven-Figure Book Deal," 23 Aug. 2017
All of Kate Middleton’s Looks on the 2017 Poland/Germany TourGet Vanity Fair’s Cocktail Hour.

— josh duboff, vanityfair.com, "Why Kate Middleton Isn’t Allowed to Sign Autographs," 14 Aug. 2017
Directions to Tour for a Cure Take I-275 West to Exit 8A (237 North).

— Cincinnati.com, "Toebben home tour benefits Alzheimer’s Association," 14 Aug. 2017
The jazz master and bass virtuoso has toured the world singing and playing with Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Lauryn Hill, and others, and, with his collaborative, the West Coast Get Down, headlined last year’s Santa Monica Pier Twilight Concert Series.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 10 Bands You Don’t Want to Miss at Echo Park Rising This Year," 11 Aug. 2017
The new Opera House will once again serve children's theatre, music, touring companies, local performances, film and even business conferences.

— staff report, The Aegis, "Week-long celebration of refurbished Havre de Grace Opera House begins Sunday," 4 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of tour

1708

tour Synonyms

Synonyms

journey, peregrinate, pilgrimage, travel, trek, trip, voyage

Related Words

gallivant (also galavant), hop, jaunt, knock (about), perambulate, ramble, roam, rove, traipse, wander; migrate, road-trip; bus, cab, coach, cruise, drive, fly, gig, jet, motor, navigate, ride, roll, sail, trundle; barnstorm

TOUR Defined for English Language Learners

tour

noun

Definition of tour for English Language Learners

: a journey through the different parts of a country, region, etc.
: an activity in which you go through a place (such as a building or city) in order to see and learn about the different parts of it
: a series of related performances, appearances, competitions, etc., that occur at different places over a period of time

tour

verb

Definition of tour for English Language Learners

: to make a journey or trip through an area or place : to make a tour of (something)
: to travel from place to place to perform, give speeches, etc.

TOUR Defined for Kids

tour

noun \ ˈtu̇r \

Definition of tour for Students

1 :a trip usually involving a series of stops and ending at the point where it started

a tour of the city

2 :a fixed period of duty

tour

verb

Definition of tour for Students

toured; touring

:to make a tour of :travel as a tourist

Learn More about tour

See words that rhyme with tour Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tour Spanish Central: Translation of tour Nglish: Translation of tour for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tour for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tour

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tour

Definition of tour

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TOUR Defined for English Language Learners

tour

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tour

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tour

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