plural tours
1
a
: a journey through the different parts of a country, region, etc.
We went on a tour of Italy.
They went on a driving tour of New England.
a sightseeing tour
We hired a tour guide. [=a person who takes people on trips through an area and explains the interesting details about it]
b
: 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
They went on a tour of the city.
We were taken on a tour of/through the school.
We went on a guided tour of the museum.
They gave us a tour of their new house.
We made a tour of the garden. [=we walked around the garden]
a tour of inspection [=an activity in which someone goes through a place in order to see if things are in the proper condition]
2
: a series of related performances, appearances, competitions, etc., that occur at different places over a period of time
a golf/book/concert tour
The band will be on tour [=traveling on a tour] for the next month.
3
: a period of time during which someone (such as a soldier) is on duty or in a certain place
during his tour in Vietnam
He served a tour of duty in Germany.
tours; toured; touring
1
: to make a journey or trip through an area or place : to make a tour of (something)
We toured London.
We'll tour the museum tomorrow.
We toured around for several weeks last summer.
"Are you here to study?" "No, I'm just touring."
2
: to travel from place to place to perform, give speeches, etc.
Is the band touring this year?
The show has toured the country.
Cite this Entry
“Tour.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/tour. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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