What does "tour" mean?
A journey through a particular building, estate, country, etc.
Tour
/tɔː(ɹ)/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A journey through a particular building, estate, country, etc.
- Grammar: tour is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: circuit, air lane, ambit, anchor watch.
- Useful contrasts: disregard, ignore, immobility.
- Usage evidence: Is there a tour guide available?
How to use "tour"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tour" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tour" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tour" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tour" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tour" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "circuit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tour", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A journey through a particular building, estate, country, etc.
"On our last holiday to Spain we took a tour of the wine-growing regions."
- 2 A tower. dated
- 3 a journey or route all the way around a particular place or area wordnet
- 4 A guided visit to a particular place, or virtual place.
"On the company's website, you can take a virtual tour of the headquarters."
- 5 a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else) wordnet
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A journey through a given list of places, such as by an entertainer performing concerts.
"Metallica's tour of Europe"
- 7 a period of time spent in military service wordnet
- 8 A trip taken to another country in which several matches are played.
- 9 A street and road race, frequently multiday.
- 10 A set of competitions which make up a championship.
- 11 A tour of duty.
"Among those released were two Americans who had been held captive for more than three months: Alex Drueke, a former U.S. Army staff sergeant who served two tours in Iraq, according to his aunt, Dianna Shaw; […]"
- 12 A closed trail.
- 13 A going round; a circuit. obsolete
"The Bird of Jove, stoopt from his aerie tour,"
- 14 A turn; a revolution. obsolete
"the tours of the heavenly bodies"
- 15 A circuit of snooker tournaments
Verb
- 1 To make a journey intransitive
"The Rolling Stones were still touring when they were in their seventies."
- 2 To toot a horn. obsolete
- 3 make a tour of a certain place wordnet
- 4 To make a circuit of a place transitive
"The circuses have been touring Europe for the last few weeks."
Proper Noun
- 1 Ellipsis of Tour de France. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Is there a tour guide available?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tour"?
Common synonyms include: circuit, air lane, ambit, anchor watch, antenna tower, assignment.
How do you use "tour" in a sentence?
Is there a tour guide available?
How do you pronounce "tour"?
Pronounced /tɔː(ɹ)/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Old French tour, tourn, from the verb torner, tourner.
Etymology 2
From Old French tor, French tour (“tower”).
Etymology 3
See toot.