Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A roundabout way or course, especially a road used temporarily instead of a main route.
  • noun A deviation from a direct course of action.
  • intransitive & transitive verb To go or cause to go by a roundabout way.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A turning; a roundabout or circuitous way; deviation from the direct or shortest road or route.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A turning; a circuitous route; a deviation from a direct course.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A diversion or deviation from one's original route.
  • verb intransitive To make a detour.
  • verb transitive To direct or send on a detour.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a roundabout road (especially one that is used temporarily while a main route is blocked)
  • verb travel via a detour

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French détour, from Old French destor, from destorner, to turn away : des-, de- + torner, to turn; see turn.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French détour, from détourner ‘turn away’.

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