tour

tour¹ W2 [tuə US tur] n

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: tour, tourn 'circular course, turn'; TURN¹]

1.) a journey for pleasure, during which you visit several different towns, areas etc

tour of/around/round

▪ a 10-day tour of China

a walking/cycling/sightseeing etc tour

▪ a cycling tour of Cornwall

▪ We met on a coach tour in Italy.

→↑package tour

2.) a short trip through a place to see it

tour of/around/round

▪ a guided tour around the Kennedy Space Center

▪ Kim worked as a tour guide in Cambridge last summer.

3.) a planned journey made by musicians, a sports team etc in order to perform or play in several places

tour of

▪ the England cricket team's tour of India

on tour

▪ The Moscow Symphony Orchestra is here on tour.

▪ the first leg of the band's European tour (=the first part of it)

4.) a period during which you go to live somewhere, usually abroad, to do your job, especially military work

▪ his third tour in Northern Ireland

5.) tour of inspection

an official visit to a place, institution, group etc in order to check its quality or performance

tour ²

tour² v

1.) [I and T]

to visit several parts of a country or area

▪ We're touring the Greek islands this summer.

2.) [T]

to go round or be shown round a place

▪ The minister had been invited to tour the new factory.