I. tour 1 S3 W2 /tʊə $ tʊr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: tour , tourn 'circular course, turn' ; ⇨ ↑ turn 1 ]
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
II. tour 2 BrE AmE verb
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to visit several parts of a country or area:
We’re touring the Greek islands this summer.
2 . [transitive] to go round or be shown round a place:
The minister had been invited to tour the new factory.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to travel
▪ travel to go from one place to another, especially places that are far apart:
We travelled to Russia by train.
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I love to travel.
▪ go to go somewhere – often used instead of travel :
We’re going to Greece for our holidays this year.
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He’s gone to London on business.
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It’s quicker to go by plane.
▪ commute to travel to work or school:
She commutes to work by bicycle.
▪ cross to travel across a very large area, for example a desert or ocean:
The slaves crossed the Atlantic in the holds of the ships.
▪ tour to travel in order to visit many different places, especially as part of a holiday:
They’re touring Europe by coach.
▪ go trekking to do a long and difficult walk in a place far from towns and cities:
They went trekking in the mountains.
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She’s been trekking in Nepal a couple of times.
▪ go backpacking to travel to a lot of different places, carrying your clothes with you in your ↑ rucksack :
He went backpacking in Australia.
▪ roam especially written to travel or move around an area with no clear purpose or direction, usually for a long time:
When he was young, he roamed from one country to another.
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The tribes used to roam around freely, without any fixed territory.
▪ journey literary to travel, especially a long distance:
He journeyed on horseback through Palestine.