tour

American  

[toor] / tʊər /

noun

tours plural

1. a traveling around from place to place.

2. a long journey including the visiting of a number of places in sequence, especially with an organized group led by a guide.

   Synonyms:

   expedition, trip

3. a brief trip through a place, as a building or a site, in order to view or inspect it.

   The visiting prime minister was given a tour of the chemical plant.

4. a journey from town to town to fulfill engagements, as by a theatrical company or an entertainer.

   to go on tour; a European concert tour.

5. a period of duty at one place or in one job.

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verb (used without object)

tours, present (3rd person singular) toured, past participle, past touring present participle

1. to travel from place to place.

   Synonyms:

   visit

2. to travel from town to town fulfilling engagements.

verb (used with object)

tours, present (3rd person singular) toured, past participle, past touring present participle

1. to travel through (a place).

   Synonyms:

   visit

2. to send or take (a theatrical company, its production, etc.) from town to town.

3. to guide (someone) on a tour.

   He toured us through the chateaus of the Loire Valley.

tour British  

/ tʊə /

noun

1. an extended journey, usually taken for pleasure, visiting places of interest along the route

2. military a period of service, esp in one place of duty

3. a short trip, as for inspection

4. a trip made by a theatre company, orchestra, etc, to perform in several different places

   a concert tour

5. an overseas trip made by a cricket or rugby team, etc, to play in several places

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verb

1. to make a tour of (a place)

2. to perform (a show) or promote (a product) in several different places

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• minitour
  noun
• untoured
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tours
  plural

Participles

• touring
  present
• toured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tour
  simple
• tours
  simple
• have toured
  perfect
• has toured
  perfect
• am touring
  progressive
• are touring
  progressive
• is touring
  progressive
• have been touring
  perfect progressive
• has been touring
  perfect progressive

Past

• toured
  simple
• had toured
  perfect
• was touring
  progressive
• were touring
  progressive
• had been touring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tour
  simple
• will have toured
  perfect
• will be touring
  progressive
• will have been touring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tour

1250–1300; Middle English (noun) < Middle French < Latin tornus < Greek tórnos tool for making a circle. See turn

Explanation

Use the noun tour to describe a route taken while sight-seeing or the act of experiencing a place, like a tour of Italy in which travelers tour museums and churches. Not all tours have to do with vacations. In fact, a tour can be quite the opposite, such as a snowplow driver whose tour during a blizzard lasts until the streets are clear, or military personnel who serve a tour of duty in the place they are assigned. These kinds of tours involve a commitment of work or service for a certain period of time.

Example Sentences

U.S. consumer spending is expected to rise by $32 billion, significantly more than the $5 billion from the Eras Tour.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Open, might be the hottest golfer around with three wins on the PGA Tour this year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

The Grand Tour presenter's health has been a theme of the fifth series of the programme, which opened with Clarkson discussing a heart procedure he had undergone in October 2024.

From BBC • Jun. 17, 2026

But missing out on a first WTA Tour title - and a first trophy since that unforgettable US Open victory in 2021 - still hurt.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

I realize we never met any of them on the Victory Tour, which seems odd in retrospect.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• circuit
• course
• cruise
• excursion
• expedition
• outing
• road
• round
• swing
• travel
• trek
• trip