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tour de force

Definition of tour de force

Examples of tour de force in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tour de force.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1802, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near tour de force

tour d'horizon

Cite this Entry

“Tour de force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tour%20de%20force. Accessed 10 May. 2024.

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tour de force noun

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What does the phrase tour de force mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the phrase tour de force . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the phrase tour de force ?

How is the phrase tour de force pronounced, british english, where does the phrase tour de force come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the phrase tour de force is in the 1800s.

OED's earliest evidence for tour de force is from 1802, in a letter by Lord Elgin.

tour de force is a borrowing from French.

Etymons: French tour .

Nearby entries

• toupee, n. 1727–
• toupeed, adj. 1847–
• toupet, n. 1728–
• toupeted, adj. 1903–
• toupet-titmouse, n. 1785–
• tour, n. c1320–
• tour, v. 1746–
• Tourangeau, n. & adj. 1883–
• Tourangeois, adj. & n. 1857–
• tourbillion | tourbillon, n. 1477–
• tour de force, n. 1802–
• Tour de France, n. 1922–
• tour d'horizon, n. 1952–
• tourelle, n. c1330–
• tourer, n. 1927–
• tourette, n.¹ 1881–
• Tourette, n.² 1899–
• Tourettism, n. 1981–
• tourification, n. 1802–
• tourify, v. 1820–
• tourifying, adj. 1825–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for tour de force, n..

tour de force, n. was first published in 1913; not yet revised.

tour de force, n. was last modified in July 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into tour de force, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1913)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View tour de force in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for tour de force, n., browse entry.

• tour de force
• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Related terms
• 1.3.2 Translations
• 1.3.3 See also
• 2.1.1 Synonyms
• 3.1 Etymology
• 3.2 Pronunciation
• 3.3.1 Descendants
• 4.1.1 Declension

English [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Borrowed from French tour de force ( “ feat of strength ” ) , circa 19th century.

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• ( US ) IPA ( key ) : /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfoɹs/ , /ˌtuɹ.dəˈfɔɹs/

Noun [ edit ]

tour de force ( plural tours de force )

• 1976 , Richard Dawkins , The Selfish Gene , Kindle edition, OUP Oxford, published 2016 , page 429 : Much as I admire Wilson’s tour de force —I wish people would read it more and read about it less—my hackles have always risen at the entirely false suggestion that his book influenced mine.

Related terms [ edit ]

• tour d'horizon

Translations [ edit ]

See also [ edit ].

• coup de force

Dutch [ edit ]

tour de force   m ( plural tours de force )

• exploit , tour de force

Synonyms [ edit ]

• huzarenstuk

French [ edit ]

Literally, “ turn of strength ” , or more loosely translated as “ turn of force ” .

• IPA ( key ) : /tuʁ də fɔʁs/

Descendants [ edit ]

German [ edit ].

tour de force   f ( genitive tour de force , plural tours de force )

• Alternative spelling of Tour de Force

Declension [ edit ]

• English terms borrowed from French
• English terms derived from French
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• English lemmas
• English nouns
• English countable nouns
• English multiword terms
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• Dutch lemmas
• Dutch nouns
• Dutch multiword terms
• Dutch masculine nouns
• French terms with IPA pronunciation
• French terms with audio links
• French lemmas
• French nouns
• French countable nouns
• French multiword terms
• French masculine nouns
• German lemmas
• German nouns
• German multiword terms
• German feminine nouns

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tour de force (n.)

"feat of strength," 1802, French; see tour (n.) + force (n.).

Entries linking to tour de force

c. 1300, "physical strength," from Old French force "force, strength; courage, fortitude; violence, power, compulsion" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fortia (source also of Old Spanish forzo , Spanish fuerza , Italian forza ), noun use of neuter plural of Latin fortis "strong, mighty; firm, steadfast; brave, bold" (see fort ).

Meanings "power to convince the mind" and "power exerted against will or consent" are from mid-14c. Meaning "body of armed men, a military organization" first recorded late 14c. (also in Old French). Physics sense is from 1660s; force field attested by 1920. Related: Forces .

c. 1300, "a turn, a shift on duty," from Old French tor, tourn , tourn "a turn, trick, round, circuit, circumference," from torner, tourner "to turn" (see turn (v.)). Sense of "a continued ramble or excursion" is from 1640s. Tour de France as a bicycle race is recorded in English from 1916 ( Tour de France Cycliste ), distinguished from a motorcar race of the same name. The Grand Tour , a journey through France, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy formerly was the finishing touch in the education of a gentleman.

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Dictionary entries near tour de force

tour de force

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Definition of 'tours de force'

Tours de force in british english.

tour de force in British English

Examples of 'tours de force' in a sentence tours de force.

Browse alphabetically tours de force

• tours de force
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• tour de force

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Tour De Force

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Tour De Force is an ultimate ability for Chamber .

• 1 Description
• 2.2 Spread values
• 3 Update History

Description [ ]

Tour De Force is an Empowerment ability that Chamber has to equip before using. Chamber can cast Tour De Force during the buy phase of any round in which he has his ultimate. Upon casting, he will summon a sniper rifle. Chamber can unequip and reequip this rifle with a shorter equip time for the rest of the round.

If Chamber kills an enemy with Tour De Force, a temporary slowing field will be created on the ground under the victim's position. If the target is high enough above ground when they are killed, it is possible for the slow field to not be created at all.

* Values that are not marked as confirmed (i.e. values not provided explicitly in game or from patch notes) are only estimates. Whilst they may not be the true value, they have been tested so that they should be very accurate. a Verified using the Range 's training dummy

Spread values [ ]

Update history [ ].

• 2 Weapon Skins
• 3 VALORANT Points

• April 6 2024

Musical tour de force

Below you will find the solution for: Musical tour de force 7 Little Words which contains 11 Letters.

Musical tour de force 7 Little Words

Since you already solved the clue Musical tour de force which had the answer SHOWSTOPPER, you can simply go back at the main post to check the other daily crossword clues. You can do so by clicking the link here 7 Little Words April 6 2024

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Definition of tour de force noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

tour de force

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Tour de Force

Mark cavendish.

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2021

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Tour de Force

Bicycles makes cities more accessible and are a healthy, sustainable way to to get around. Moreover, if people travel by bicycle there will be fewer tailbacks. Yet many commuters still travel to work by car. That is why the government wants to make the Netherlands even more bicycle-friendly.

It is the responsibility of municipalities and provinces to build cycle paths and encourage the use of bicycles. It is essential that all relevant parties are on board. In some cases, where situations call for a national effort, central government joins forces with the provincial and municipal authorities. One example of this is the Tour de Force programme.

Tour de Force aims to raise the number of kilometres travelled by bicycle in the Netherlands by 20% over the next ten years. As part of the programme, the government is reviewing the main challenges involved in making cycling a more attractive option. They will then explore smart solutions to these challenges, joining forces with companies, NGOs and knowledge platforms including the CROW-Fietsberaad knowledge centre, the Dutch Cycling Embassy, and the Dutch Cyclists' Union.

Challenges to bicycle policy

The Tour de Force programme will seek answers to issues including:

• How can we improve the link between the bicycle network and public transport?
• How can smart technologies help cyclists? For example, traffic lights that turn green when a cyclist approaches, a system that indicates free spaces in bicycle parking facilities or a chip to help trace stolen bicycles.
• As people grow older, how can we ensure that they stay safe while cycling?
• How can we fund these measures?

Role of the central government

Central government can assist by bringing parties together, commissioning research, conducting experiments, amending regulations and, in some cases, by co-funding urban projects. One example of this is the renovation or construction of additional bicycle parking facilities at railway stations. The construction costs are usually shared by municipalities, provinces, transport regions and central government. Forecasts show that railway stations will need a great deal of new bicycle parking spaces in the next 15 years.

World’s largest bicycle parking facility