tour
Americannoun
-
tours
plural
-
a traveling around from place to place.
-
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
a period of duty at one place or in one job.
verb (used without object)
-
tours,
present (3rd person singular)
-
toured,
past participle, past
-
touring
present participle
-
to travel from place to place.
- Synonyms:
- visit
-
to travel from town to town fulfilling engagements.
verb (used with object)
-
tours,
present (3rd person singular)
-
toured,
past participle, past
-
touring
present participle
-
to travel through (a place).
- Synonyms:
- visit
-
to send or take (a theatrical company, its production, etc.) from town to town.
-
to guide (someone) on a tour.
He toured us through the chateaus of the Loire Valley.
noun
-
an extended journey, usually taken for pleasure, visiting places of interest along the route
-
military a period of service, esp in one place of duty
-
a short trip, as for inspection
-
a trip made by a theatre company, orchestra, etc, to perform in several different places
a concert tour
-
an overseas trip made by a cricket or rugby team, etc, to play in several places
verb
-
to make a tour of (a place)
-
to perform (a show) or promote (a product) in several different places
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
toursimple
-
tourssimple
-
have touredperfect
-
has touredperfect
-
am touringprogressive
-
are touringprogressive
-
is touringprogressive
-
have been touringperfect progressive
-
has been touringperfect progressive
Past
-
touredsimple
-
had touredperfect
-
was touringprogressive
-
were touringprogressive
-
had been touringperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing tour
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Greetings, World Traveler! — List 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
After Susan Levenson, 71, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s in 2019, at age 64, she and her husband, Josh, traveled to Croatia and Albania that year on a group tour with friends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
There were people on the last tour who would say, “It’s got to be playback — you’re not really playing it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
European Council chief Antonio Costa kicked off a tour of EU capitals this week bidding to hammer out a compromise on the budget -- with the clock ticking down to a December deadline.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
Even so, Tuesday she faced an orchestra that had just returned a week earlier from a grueling U.K. tour with Dudamel before jumping into the emotional and grueling farewell Bowl extravaganza.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
“The scientific name for polar bears is Ursus maritimus, which means ‘sea bear,’ ” Owen said, shifting back to his tour guide script.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Phil activities throughout his tenure, taking them on foreign orchestra tours and even including them on a Super Bowl halftime.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
They have undertaken charity work and recently conducted a number of pseudo-royal tours, including of Jordan and Australia, where they carried out public engagements.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
She can sell out stadium tours, inspire fans to buy branded merchandise and replicate her outfits, and even boost entire economies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Travel agents have access to cheaper bookings and perks: They can often provide discounts on hotels, cruises and tours, or access to perks like VIP packages and upgraded rooms that aren’t available to the public.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
He tours the Hall of Mirrors, countless figures in matching grey suits and top hats accompanying him.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
"After sunset is a lot more comfortable," Victor Li, 52, told AFP as he toured the arena and the underground passages where animals and gladiators were once held.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
The then-hypothetical facility had been a critical contingency for Riley, who never toured USC’s facilities, but knew — like most people around college football — that the Trojans were seriously lacking in that department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Across the last 60 years or so, Kaye has toured the globe, worked with amazing musicians, and witnessed multiple incredible moments.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026
Spain's King Felipe VI said the wildfires had caused "incalculable" damage to the country's natural heritage as he toured an emergency shelter in Villamanta south-west of the capital.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The portrait no longer travels, but when it toured the United States in the 1960s, it was received like a visiting dignitary.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
Fratti performed on some of the band’s earliest records, and asked Derbez to house-sit for her while she was away touring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
That same year, Porter Wagoner—known for his flashy suits and towering pompadour—hired her as his sidekick and duet partner for his syndicated show and touring company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
In those interviews, he talked about battling stage fright, and the difficulties of balancing touring commitments with family life.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Morgan analyst Rajat Gupta said in an Aug. 18 client note after touring Tesla’s factory in Fremont, Calif.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
She would’ve come with me today, but she’s in California with her family, touring Berkeley and a couple of other state schools.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
