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.
-
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.
That same description could be applied to Derek McInnes at Hearts and Martin O'Neil, back for a third tour of duty at Celtic.
From BBC • Jan. 6, 2026
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
After a tour of duty in Iraq, Retes moved back to Ventura County this year to find a job and spend more time with his wife and two young children.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2025
While on their tour of duty, the judges decide on FBI requests to wiretap alleged foreign spies.
From Salon • Mar. 13, 2025
Her other preferred companion was Idabelle, the one Inside Cat, whose tour of duty included the kitchen, the pantry, and the laundry, and whose commission it was to keep mice out of the flour bin.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
