Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) to see, to survey, to spy on.

c.1535		R. Copland Hye way to the Spyttel House Eiii: Toure the patryng coue in the darkman cace / Docked the dell for a coper meke.
c.1566		Harman Caveat for Common Cursetours in Viles & Furnivall (1907) 84: to towre, to see.
1592		Groundworke of Conny-catching A3: Now I tower that bene bouse makes nase nabes.
1610		Rowlands Martin Mark-all 42: Towre out ben morts & towre.
1612		Dekker ‘Canting Song’ O per se O O1: Bingd out bien Morts and toure, bing out of the Rome-vile: And towre the coue, that cloyde your duds vpon the chates to trine.
1639		J. Taylor Crabtree Lectures 191: Mort. If you tower any slates lye upon the Cracke, mill them, and budge a beak.
1641		R. Brome Jovial Crew II i: Toure out with your Glaziers, I swear by the Ruffin, / That we are assaulted by a queer Cuffin.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 45: [as cit. 1612].
a.1674		‘A Wenches complaint for . . . her lusty Rogue’ Head Canting Academy (1674) 17: Harmanbecks did never toure / For thee.
1688		R. Holme Academy of Armory Ch. iii item 68c: Canting Terms used by Beggars, Vagabonds, Cheaters, Cripples and Bedlams. [...] To Towre, to see.
1707		‘Rum-Mort’s Praise of Her Faithless Maunder’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 35: [as cit. a.1674].
1712		‘Black Procession’ in Farmer Musa Pedestris (1896) 37: Tour you well; hark you well, see / Where they are rubb’d.
1725		New Canting Dict. n.p.: tour see tout [i.e. to look out sharp].
1741		Canting Academy, or the Pedlar’s-French Dict. 116: To look Tour.
1754		Scoundrel’s Dict. 19: To look out – Tour.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: Tower. To overlook, to rise aloft as in a high tower.
1815		(con. 18C) W. Scott Guy Mannering (1999) 149: Bing out and tour ye auld devil, and see that nobody has scented.
1822		(con. early 17C) W. Scott Fortunes of Nigel II 131: ‘Tour out,’ said the one ruffian to the other; ‘tour the bien mort twiring at the gentry cove!’.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1906		A. McCormick Tinkler-Gypsies of Galloway 104: The following words appear to be still in use in one form or another amongst Galwegian tinkler-gypsies – Bing out and tour – Go out and watch.