tour

1 of 2

noun

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

tour

2 of 2

verb

toured; touring; tours

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

Examples of tour in a Sentence

Noun 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. Verb 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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Plans call for a possible Broadway run in the future, but until that happens, Case will start a national tour to promote Neon Grey Midnight Green in Woodstock, New York, on Oct. 1. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025 And while there’s plenty to explore on your own, especially in the surrounding historic district, the concierge team excels in arranging next-level experiences like helicopter tours or private sails. Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025
Verb
The band has been consistently touring ever since and are currently celebrating their highs and lows on their milestone 20th anniversary tour. Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025 Oshiro took off a considerable amount of time from touring last year and is still regaining ranking points. Todd Boss, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for tour

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of tour was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tour

1 of 2 noun
ˈtu̇(ə)r How to pronounce tour (audio)
sense 1 is also
ˈtau̇(ə)r How to pronounce tour (audio)
1
a
: one's turn in a schedule
b
: a period of time during which one is on duty or in a certain place
2
: a trip usually ending at the point of beginning
a tour of the city
3
: a series of related sports events held regularly at varied locations
the golf tour

tour

2 of 2 verb
: to make a tour of : travel as a tourist

More from Merriam-Webster on tour

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