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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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:
Next to it, a poster advertises the open-air mass that US-born Leo will celebrate next Monday in Buenos Aires, on the second-leg of his South American tour.
From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026
But the 2026 WTA Finals, this weekend's season-ending championship of the women's tour, will not take place in Saudi Arabia.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
A film and record of the performance was released in 2025 as “Alive in the Catacombs,” and the quintet then embarked on a tour inspired by that gig.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
The national tour is already selling out houses across the country and receiving a rapturous response.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Gregory’s going to come over later and take me for a tour, since he had a key to take care of your chickens and knows them pretty well.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
In the 2000s, the U.S. hosted tours of American carriers for Chinese delegations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The issues have resurfaced as Charles tours the Caribbean before delivering a speech Tuesday at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting there, which Burnham is also set to attend.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Today, the curious take in dramatic dioramas at the Salem Witch Museum or learn more on walking tours around town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
The Queen, who will be 80 next July, is known to find the pace and hot conditions of some royal tours gruelling.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
But Hector Bowen still tours, in a manner of speaking, even if Prospero the Enchanter does not.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
To help finance the company, James toured with other ballet troupes including Northern Ballet.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The pair toured the house multiple times in 2014 before settling on an $88-million monolithic mansion in Bel-Air three years later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
In high school he also toured U.S. universities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Protesters and police clashed in Albania's capital for a third straight day on Thursday, when the prime minister toured the aftermath of demonstrations that left government buildings badly damaged.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Riis had toured Chicago’s foulest districts and pronounced them worse than anything he had seen in New York.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Listening to “Sunburst” now, about the weary rock star, one hears the song as a harbinger of the arduous touring that lay ahead for Mr. Seger as he sustained his realized dream.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"Elon Musk is a genius, truly a genius," Putin said while touring an exhibition on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
Earlier this year, the chair of the Featured Artists Coalition and Blur drummer David Rowntree told the BBC is was "virtually impossible now to make touring pay for itself".
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Rama posted a video on his Facebook page showing him touring the burnt-out remains of an office at a college campus in Tirana.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Miss Peregrine’s clock is running out and we’re touring a carnival! Why not get some sweets and make a day of it?”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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