tour

See also: Tour and tóur

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation)
  • (pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /tɔː(ɹ)/
  • (without the pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /tʊə(ɹ)/
• (General American, Canada)
  • (without the pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /tʊɚ/, /tʊɹ/
  • (pour–poor merger) IPA^(key): /tɔɹ/

  • Audio; /tʊɚ/:

    (file)

• (Scotland, Northern Ireland) IPA^(key): /tʉːɹ/
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /tuːɹ/
• (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA^(key): /tʉːə/

  • Audio (General Australian); /tʉːə/:

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ), -ʊə(ɹ)
• Homophones: ; tore (pour–poor merger), tor (pour–poor merger, horse–hoarse merger); taw (pour–poor merger, horse–hoarse merger, non-rhotic)

Etymology 1

From Old French tour, tourn, from the verb torner, tourner.

Noun

tour (plural tours)

The Tour Alsace 2024. A five-day road bicycle race held annually in Alsace, France. ("tour" in sense 5.)

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 guided visit to a particular place, or virtual place.

   On the company's website, you can take a virtual tour of the headquarters.

4. A journey through a given list of places, such as by an entertainer performing concerts.

   Metallica's tour of Europe

5. (sports, chiefly cricket and rugby) A trip taken to another country in which several matches are played.
6. (sports, cycling) A street and road race, frequently multiday.
7. (sports) A set of competitions which make up a championship.
8. (military) A tour of duty.
   • 2022 September 21, Carly Olson, Dan Bilefsky, “Ten prisoners, including Americans, have been released as part of a Russia-Ukraine exchange, Saudi Arabia says.”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     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; […]

9. (graph theory) A closed trail.
10. (obsolete) A going round; a circuit.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

      The Bird of Jove, stoopt from his aerie tour,

11. (obsolete) A turn; a revolution.

    the tours of the heavenly bodies

    • 1712, Richard Blackmore, Creation:

      It [blood] onward springs, and makes the wondrous tour

12. (snooker) A circuit of snooker tournaments

Hyponyms

• Grand Tour
• guided tour
• support tour
• tour de force
• tour d'horizon
• whirlwind tour

Derived terms

• abortion tour
• audio tour
• book tour
• Cook's tour
• duck tour
• Eulerian tour
• fifty-cent tour
• grand tour
• knight's tour
• mystery tour
• nickel tour
• on tour
• package tour
• pre-tour
• railtour, rail tour
• starlight tour
• study tour
• ten-cent tour
• Tiki tour
• tiki-tour
• tiki tour
• touch tour
• Tourane
• tour bus
• tour-goer
• tour group
• tour guide
• tourism
• tourist
• tour match
• tour mate
• tour operator
• what happens on tour stays on tour
• whistlestop tour

Translations

journey

• Arabic: رِحْلَة f (riḥla), جَوْلَة f (jawla)

  Egyptian Arabic: جولة m (gawla)

• Armenian: շրջագայություն (hy) (šrǰagayutʻyun), ճանապարհորդություն (hy) (čanaparhordutʻyun)
• Bulgarian: обиколка (bg) f (obikolka)
• Catalan: recorregut (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 旅游 (zh) (lǚyóu), 旅行 (zh) (lǚxíng), 旅途 (zh) (lǚtú), 旅程 (zh) (lǚchéng)

• Danish: tur (da) c, rundtur c
• Dutch: excursie (nl), reis (nl) f, toer (nl) m
• Finnish: matka (fi), kiertoajelu (fi), kiertokäynti, ekskursio (fi)
• French: excursion (fr) m, voyage (fr) m, tournée (fr) f
• German: Tour (de) f, Reise (de) f
• Greek: περιοδεία (el) f (periodeía)
• Hebrew: סיור m (siyúr), טיול (he) m (tiyúl), תִּיּוּר (he) m (tiyúr)
• Higaonon: soroy
• Ido: turo (io)
• Indonesian: tur (id)
• Italian: viaggio (it)
• Japanese: 旅行 (ja) (ryokō), 旅 (ja) (tabi), ツアー (ja) (tsuā)
• Korean: 여행(旅行) (ko) (yeohaeng), 투어 (tueo)
• Luganda: okulambula
• Mongolian: аялал (mn) (ajalal)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tur (no) m, rundtur (no) m

  Nynorsk: tur m, rundtur m

• Portuguese: passeio (pt) m
• Russian: путеше́ствие (ru) n (putešéstvije), пое́здка (ru) f (pojézdka), (indeclinable) турне́ (ru) n (turnɛ́)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuairt f, turas m
• Spanish: recorrido (es) m, tour m, tournée f (turné)
• Tamil: சுற்றுலா (ta) (cuṟṟulā)
• Thai: ทัวร์ (th) (tuua)
• Tibetan: འགྲུལ་བཞུད ('grul bzhud)
• Turkish: gezi (tr), gezinti (tr)
• Vietnamese: du lịch (vi) (遊歷), lữ hành (vi) (旅行)

guided visit

• Armenian: շրջագայություն (hy) (šrǰagayutʻyun), տուր (hy) (tur)
• Dutch: rondgang (nl), rondleiding (nl)
• Finnish: kiertokäynti, opastettu kierros
• French: visite guidée f
• German: Tour (de) f, Rundgang (de) m
• Greek: περιήγηση (el) f (periígisi), ξενάγηση (el) f (xenágisi)

  Ancient Greek: περιήγησις f (periḗgēsis)

• Indonesian: tur (id)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: rundtur (no) m

  Nynorsk: rundtur m

• Persian: تور (fa) (tur)
• Portuguese: excursão (pt) f, tour m
• Russian: тур (ru) m (tur)
• Scottish Gaelic: cuairt f, turas m
• Spanish: tour m
• Tamil: சுற்றுலா (ta) (cuṟṟulā)
• Thai: ทัวร์ (th) (tuua)
• Turkish: tur (tr)
• Vietnamese: chuyến du lịch

journey through given list of places

• Armenian: շրջագայություն (hy) (šrǰagayutʻyun)
• Bulgarian: турне (bg) n (turne)
• Catalan: gira (ca) f
• Finnish: kiertue (fi)
• French: tournée (fr) f
• Galician: xira f
• German: Tour (de) f, Tournee (de) f
• Greek: περιοδεία (el) f (periodeía)
• Hebrew: סבב הופעות (he) m (sevev hofāʿot)
• Indonesian: tur (id)
• Italian: tournée (it) f, (abbrevation) tour (it) f
• Māori: toronga
• Occitan: virada (oc) f
• Portuguese: turnê (pt) f
• Scottish Gaelic: cuairt f, turas m
• Serbo-Croatian: turneja (sh) f
• Spanish: gira (es) f, tour m, tournée f (turné)
• Swedish: turné (sv) c
• Tamil: சுற்றுலா (ta) (cuṟṟulā)
• Vietnamese: chuyến du lịch

cycling: multistage street and road race

• Bulgarian: обиколка (bg) f (obikolka)
• Catalan: volta (ca) f
• Dutch: ronde (nl) f
• French: tour (fr)
• Italian: giro (it) m
• Spanish: vuelta (es) f

graph theory: a closed trail

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 一笔画 (zh)

• Tamil: சுற்று (ta) (cuṟṟu)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} rondreis (nl) m

Verb

tour (third-person singular simple present tours, present participle touring, simple past and past participle toured)

1. (intransitive) To make a journey

   The Rolling Stones were still touring when they were in their seventies.

2. (transitive) To make a circuit of a place

   The circuses have been touring Europe for the last few weeks.

Translations

to make a journey

• Bulgarian: обикалям (bg) (obikaljam), обхождам (bg) (obhoždam)
• Dutch: toeren (nl)
• French: tourner (fr)
• Greek: περιοδεύω (el) (periodévo), περιηγούμαι (el) (periigoúmai)
• Hebrew: תָּר (he) (tar)
• Spanish: recorrer (es)
• Turkish: gezmek (tr)

to make a circuit

• Bulgarian: гастролирам (bg) (gastroliram)
• Māori: tawhio, tāpoi
• Spanish: recorrer (es)
• Tamil: சுற்று (ta) (cuṟṟu)
• Turkish: turlamak (tr)

Etymology 2

From Old French tor, French tour (“tower”).

Noun

tour (plural tours)

1. (dated) A tower.

Etymology 3

See toot.

Verb

tour (third-person singular simple present tours, present participle touring, simple past and past participle toured)

1. (obsolete) To toot a horn.

References

• “tour”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• rout, trou

Breton

Noun

tour

1. hard mutation of dour

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French tour.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

tour m (plural tours, diminutive tourtje n)

1. tour

Synonyms

• rondreis

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Paris)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

  ("un tour")

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uʁ

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old French tor, from Latin turrem, from Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis), τύρσις (túrsis).

Noun

tour f (plural tours)

1. tower

   La tour de Pise est penchée. ― The Tower of Pisa is leaning.

2. (chess) rook
3. apartment building

Derived terms

• tour CN
• tour de Babel
• tour de contrôle
• tour de forage
• tour de guet
• tour de siège
• tour d'ivoire
• tour Eiffel
• tourelle

Descendants

• → Breton: tour
• → Russian: тура́ (turá)
• → Ukrainian: тура́ (turá)

Etymology 2

Deverbal Old French torner, tourner. Related to Etymology 3.

Noun

tour m (plural tours)

1. turn, circumference
   • 1857, Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary […]‎^[2], Paris: Michel Lévy Frères:

     L'univers, pour lui, n'excédait pas le tour soyeux de son jupon; et il se reprochait de ne pas l'aimer, il avait envie de la revoir; il s'en revenait vite, montait l'escalier; le coeur battant.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. go, turn
3. walk, stroll
4. round, stage (of a competition)
5. trick (e.g. magic trick, card trick)

   La magicienne a épaté le public avec ses tours.

   The magician wowed the audience with her tricks.

6. ride
7. lap (of a race)

Derived terms

• à double tour
• à tour de bras
• à tour de rôle
• au quart de tour
• avoir plus d'un tour dans son sac
• et le tour est joué
• faire le tour du propriétaire
• faire un tour
• monter dans les tours
• passer son tour
• tour à tour
• tour d'abandon
• tour de forage
• Tour de France
• tour de magie
• tour de parole
• tour de passe-passe
• tour de poitrine
• tour de reins
• tour de scrutin
• tour de table
• tour de taille
• tour d'horizon
• tour en l'air

Descendants

• → Russian: тур (tur)
• → Spanish: tour
• → Turkish: tur
• → Ukrainian: тур (tur)

Etymology 3

From Latin tornus. Related to Etymology 2.

Noun

tour m (plural tours)

1. lathe
2. potter’s wheel

Derived terms

• tour de potier
• tour d'abandon
• tour du poteau

Further reading

• “tour”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012
• “tour”, in Dictionnaire français en ligne Larousse

Anagrams

• trou

Middle English

Alternative forms

• thour, tor, tore, toure, towere, towour, tur

Etymology

From Old English tūr, tor, torr, from Latin turris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːr/

Noun

tour (plural toures)

1. tower

Descendants

• English: tower (see there for further descendants)
• Scots: tour, towr
• Yola: toweare

References

• “tǒur, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French tour.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtuʁ/ [ˈtuh]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈtuʁ/ [ˈtuh]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /ˈtuɾ/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /ˈtuʁ/ [ˈtuχ]
  • (Caipira) IPA^(key): /ˈtuɻ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtuɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtuɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈtu.ɾi/

Noun

tour m (plural tours)

1. tour (guided visit)
2. tour (journey through a given list of places)

Related terms

• turnê

Further reading

• “tour”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “tour”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026
• “tour”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tur/

Etymology 1

Noun

tour (plural tours)

1. tour

Etymology 2

Alternative forms

• towr

Noun

tour (plural tours)

1. tower

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French tour.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtuɾ/ [ˈt̪uɾ]
  • Rhymes: -uɾ
• IPA^(key): /ˈtouɾ/ [ˈt̪ou̯ɾ]
  • Rhymes: -ouɾ
  • Syllabification: tour

Noun

tour m (plural tours)

1. tour, guided visit to a country, museum, etc.

   Synonyms: viaje, visita, excursión

2. (sports) tour, a trip to another country to play matches
3. (music) tour, a trip to other countries undertaken by a singer or musician

   Synonym: gira

Usage notes

According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Derived terms

• Tour de Francia

Further reading

• “tour”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

tour c

1. (sports) a tour (chiefly in individual ball games)

Declension

Declension of tour

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	tour	tours
	definite	touren	tourens
plural	indefinite	tourer	tourers
	definite	tourerna	tourernas

References

• tour in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tour in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tour in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)