Detour

How to spell detour

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce detour

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does detour mean?

1. nounA longer or roundabout route taken because the direct way is closed or to visit somewhere along the way.
2. verbTo turn aside from a direct route and take a longer or indirect way.

Detour in a sentence

• noun

  Roadworks forced a long detour through the village.

• verb

  Traffic was so heavy that we had to detour around the city centre.

• noun

  The map showed a clearly marked detour around the flooded bridge.

• verb

  The driver chose to detour past the accident site.

Where does detour come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes straight from the French détour, a noun built on the verb détourner, meaning 'to turn aside' or 'to turn away'. The first part, dé-, carries the sense of 'away' or 'aside', while tour means 'a turn' and traces back to the Latin tornare, 'to turn on a lathe' (the same root that gives us 'turn', 'tour', and 'tournament'). English adopted détour in the early 1700s, initially as a military and travel term for a roundabout route taken when the direct way was blocked. Over time it broadened to any indirect course, whether on a road or, figuratively, in a plan or conversation. The spelling keeps its French shape almost entirely, which is exactly why writers hesitate over the silent feel of the 'our' ending rather than spelling it 'detoor' the way it sounds.

How the word is built

• de- (from French dé-, meaning away or aside)
• tour (a turn, from Latin tornare: to turn on a lathe)