tour of duty
Americannoun
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a period of military service in a particular theater of war, with a particular unit, or assigned to a particular task.
He volunteered for two tours of duty in Afghanistan.
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a period of work or service in a particular role, field, workplace, etc.; tour.
After a tour of duty in banking, she followed her father into the development company.
Etymology
Origin of tour of duty
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
When his tour of duty was over, the Englishman moved to California and saw the dark aftermath of the Summer of Love.
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2025
An Israeli citizen, he was called up as a reservist for a tour of duty with the Israel Defence Forces.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2025
While on their tour of duty, the judges decide on FBI requests to wiretap alleged foreign spies.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2025
It was a very interesting nine-month tour of duty in military service, tactical training, and of course the medical aspect of evaluating injuries, administering morphine, splinting and stopping bleeding.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2024
After all, he had only returned from his five-year tour of duty in France six months earlier and had just taken up his post as secretary of state in March.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
