An alternative route taken to avoid a blocked or closed road, or any deviation from a planned course.
From French 'détour,' literally meaning 'a turning away' (from 'détourner' — 'de' meaning away + 'tourner' meaning to turn). Originally a military term from the 1600s describing tactical movements where troops would 'turn away' from their main route to avoid enemy positions or obstacles. The word entered English through military manuals and later became civilian terminology for any alternative routing, whether for roads, plans, or life paths.
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