I. tout 1 /taʊt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: tout 'to look secretly, watch' (14-19 centuries) , perhaps from an unrecorded Old English tutian ]
1 . [transitive] to praise something or someone in order to persuade people that they are important or worth a lot:
his much touted musical
be touted as something
Nell is being touted as the next big thing in Hollywood.
2 . [intransitive and transitive] especially British English to try to persuade people to buy goods or services you are offering
tout for business/custom British English (=look for customers)
Minicab drivers are not allowed to tout for business.
3 . [intransitive and transitive] American English to give someone information about a horse in a race
II. tout 2 BrE AmE ( also ticket tout ) noun [countable] British English
someone who buys tickets for a concert, sports match etc and sells them at a higher price, usually on the street near a sports ground, theatre etc SYN scalper American English