tour
taw
Tour (noun) means a trip or visit through a place, often for sightseeing or inspection. Example: “We joined a walking tour of the old town.”
noun
1
A trip or visit through a place, often for sightseeing or inspection.
"We joined a walking tour of the old town."
"We took a guided tour of the castle."
"The tour of the factory lasted about an hour."
2
A series of scheduled performances or matches by a performer or team, often in different cities or countries.
"The choir is on tour and sings in a different town every night."
"The football team begins its tour of Australia next month."
"The band announced a world tour for next spring."
3
A period of duty spent in a particular place or role, especially in the military.
"After his second tour of duty, the soldier returned home."
"Her tour on the ship lasted six months."
"He served two tours in the region."
verb
1
To travel through a place, often visiting several locations.
"We toured the old castle and its gardens before lunch."
"The senator toured the flood-damaged areas."
"The band is touring Europe this summer."
How to use tour
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA trip taken to see or visit places, or a scheduled series of performances or duties.
Common pairings
go on tour
guided tour
tour of duty
world tour
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like tour.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- tours
- Third person singular
- tours
- Past tense
- toured
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We joined a walking _____ of the old town.
Etymology
From Old French tour/tourn, related to the verb tourner, "to turn."
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for tour
See all rhymes for tour →Frequently asked questions
What does “tour” mean?
The word “tour” means a trip or visit through a place, often for sightseeing or inspection. In plain terms, a trip taken to see or visit places, or a scheduled series of performances or duties.
How do you pronounce “tour”?
“Tour” is pronounced taw (/tɔː(ɹ)/ in IPA).
How do you use “tour” in a sentence?
Here is “tour” used in a sentence: “We took a guided tour of the castle.”
What part of speech is “tour”?
Depending on how it is used, “tour” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “tour” come from?
The word “tour” comes from Old French. From Old French tour/tourn, related to the verb tourner, "to turn.".
Is “tour” a common word?
“Tour” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “tour” have?
“Tour” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a trip or visit through a place, often for sightseeing or inspection.
What is the difference between a tour and a trip?
A trip is any journey from one place to another, however brief or purposeful. A tour is usually a planned visit through several sights or areas, often for sightseeing, learning, or inspection. Every tour is a kind of trip, but a quick errand is a trip and not a tour.
What are the types of tours?
Common kinds include the guided tour, led by an expert; the walking tour of a neighborhood; the bus or boat tour; and the virtual tour viewed online. Beyond sightseeing, a tour can be a musician's series of concerts, a sports team's away schedule, or a soldier's period of duty.
What is an example of a tour?
Visiting a museum with a guide who explains each room is a classic tour. So is spending a week traveling around Italy to see its major cities, or a factory tour that shows how a product is made. Each involves moving through a place to see or inspect it.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include tour:
