turn

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  "I shook hands with the three in turn."
• WordNet 3.6
  • v turn twist suddenly so as to sprain "wrench one's ankle","The wrestler twisted his shoulder","the hikers sprained their ankles when they fell","I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days"
  • v turn pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become "The weather turned nasty","She grew angry"
  • v turn change to the contrary "The trend was reversed","the tides turned against him","public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern"
  • v turn undergo a transformation or a change of position or action "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism","The people turned against the President when he stole the election"
  • v turn become officially one year older "She is turning 50 this year"
  • v turn change color "In Vermont, the leaves turn early"
  • v turn go sour or spoil "The milk has soured","The wine worked","The cream has turned--we have to throw it out"
  • v turn have recourse to or make an appeal or request for help or information to "She called on her Representative to help her","She turned to her relatives for help"
  • v turn direct at someone "She turned a smile on me","They turned their flashlights on the car"
  • v turn alter the functioning or setting of "turn the dial to 10","turn the heat down"
  • v turn cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form "bend the rod","twist the dough into a braid","the strong man could turn an iron bar"
  • v turn let (something) fall or spill from a container "turn the flour onto a plate"
  • v turn shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel "turn the legs of the table","turn the clay on the wheel"
  • v turn to break and turn over earth especially with a plow "Farmer Jones plowed his east field last week","turn the earth in the Spring"
  • v turn change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense "Turn towards me","The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face","She turned from herself and learned to listen to others' needs"
  • v turn pass to the other side of "turn the corner","move around the obstacle"
  • v turn channel one's attention, interest, thought, or attention toward or away from something "The pedophile turned to boys for satisfaction","people turn to mysticism at the turn of a millennium"
  • v turn to send or let go "They turned away the crowd at the gate of the governor's mansion"
  • v turn cause to move around a center so as to show another side of "turn a page of a book"
  • v turn cause to move around or rotate "turn a key","turn your palm this way"
  • v turn cause to move along an axis or into a new direction "turn your face to the wall","turn the car around","turn your dance partner around"
  • v turn move around an axis or a center "The wheels are turning"
  • v turn get by buying and selling "the company turned a good profit after a year"
  • v turn accomplish by rotating "turn a somersault","turn cartwheels"
  • v turn undergo a change or development "The water turned into ice","Her former friend became her worst enemy","He turned traitor"
  • v turn cause to change or turn into something different; assume new characteristics "The princess turned the frog into a prince by kissing him","The alchemists tried to turn lead into gold"
  • n turn taking a short walk out and back "we took a turn in the park"
  • n turn turning or twisting around (in place) "with a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room"
  • n turn the act of turning away or in the opposite direction "he made an abrupt turn away from her"
  • n turn the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course "he took a turn to the right"
  • n turn (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession "it is my turn","it is still my play"
  • n turn a favor for someone "he did me a good turn"
  • n turn a short theatrical performance that is part of a longer program "he did his act three times every evening","she had a catchy little routine","it was one of the best numbers he ever did"
  • n turn a movement in a new direction "the turning of the wind"
  • n turn an unforeseen development "events suddenly took an awkward turn"
  • n turn a circular segment of a curve "a bend in the road","a crook in the path"
  • n turn (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive
  • n turn a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else) "it's my go","a spell of work"
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Additional illustrations & photos:

"The cat washed the jackdaw in its turn."

"May turned away, feeling ashamed and miserable."

Using a Turning Saw

Wanted to Turn in a Fire Alarm 201

And so the teacher turned him out

Josiah turned his back on me

The Prince is turned into a deer

The sleigh turned upside down

• Interesting fact: Bats always turn left when exiting a cave
• • Turn A change of condition; especially, a sudden or recurring symptom of illness, as a nervous shock, or fainting spell; as, a bad turn .
  • Turn A circuitous walk, or a walk to and fro, ending where it began; a short walk; a stroll. "Come, you and I must walk a turn together.""I will take a turn in your garden."
  • Turn (Eng. Law) A court of record, held by the sheriff twice a year in every hundred within his county.
  • Turn A fall off the ladder at the gallows; a hanging; -- so called from the practice of causing the criminal to stand on a ladder which was turned over, so throwing him off, when the signal was given.
  • Turn (Mining) A pit sunk in some part of a drift.
  • Turn A round of a rope or cord in order to secure it, as about a pin or a cleat.
  • Turn (Mus) An embellishment or grace, commonly consisting of the principal note, or that on which the turn is made, with the note above, and the semitone below, the note above being sounded first, the principal note next, and the semitone below last, the three being performed quickly, as a triplet preceding the marked note. The turn may be inverted so as to begin with the lower note, in which case the sign is either placed on end.
  • Turn Change of direction, course, or tendency; different order, position, or aspect of affairs; alteration; vicissitude; as, the turn of the tide. "At length his complaint took a favorable turn .""The turns and varieties of all passions.""Too well the turns of mortal chance I know."
  • Turn Convenience; occasion; purpose; exigence; as, this will not serve his turn . "I have enough to serve mine own turn ."
  • Turn Form; cast; shape; manner; fashion; -- used in a literal or figurative sense; hence, form of expression; mode of signifying; as, the turn of thought; a man of a sprightly turn in conversation. "The turn of both his expressions and thoughts is unharmonious.""The Roman poets, in their description of a beautiful man, often mention the turn of his neck and arms."
  • Turn Hence, to give form to; to shape; to mold; to put in proper condition; to adapt. "The poet's pen turns them to shapes.""His limbs how turned, how broad his shoulders spread !""He was perfectly well turned for trade."
  • Turn Hence, to revolve as if upon a point of support; to hinge; to depend; as, the decision turns on a single fact. "Conditions of peace certainly turn upon events of war."
  • Turn Incidental or opportune deed or office; occasional act of kindness or malice; as, to do one an ill turn . "Had I not done a friendes turn to thee?""thanks are half lost when good turns are delayed."
  • Turn (Med) Monthly courses; menses.
  • Turn One of the successive portions of a course, or of a series of occurrences, reckoning from change to change; hence, a winding; a bend; a meander. "And all its [the river's] thousand turns disclose.
    Some fresher beauty varying round."
  • Turn Successive course; opportunity enjoyed by alternation with another or with others, or in due order; due chance; alternate or incidental occasion; appropriate time. "Nobleness and bounty . . . had their turns in his [the king's] nature.""His turn will come to laugh at you again.""Every one has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases."
  • Turn The act of turning; movement or motion about, or as if about, a center or axis; revolution; as, the turn of a wheel.
  • Turn To be changed, altered, or transformed; to become transmuted; also, to become by a change or changes; to grow; as, wood turns to stone; water turns to ice; one color turns to another; to turn Muslim. "I hope you have no intent to turn husband.""Cygnets from gray turn white."
  • Turn To be deflected; to take a different direction or tendency; to be directed otherwise; to be differently applied; to be transferred; as, to turn from the road. "Turn from thy fierce wrath.""Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways.""The understanding turns inward on itself, and reflects on its own operations."
  • Turn To be nauseated; -- said of the stomach.
  • Turn To become acid; to sour; -- said of milk, ale, etc.
  • Turn To become giddy; -- said of the head or brain.
  • Turn To become inclined in the other direction; -- said of scales.
  • Turn To bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in order to facilitate delivery.
  • Turn To cause to move upon a center, or as if upon a center; to give circular motion to; to cause to revolve; to cause to move round, either partially, wholly, or repeatedly; to make to change position so as to present other sides in given directions; to make to face otherwise; as, to turn a wheel or a spindle; to turn the body or the head. "Turn the adamantine spindle round.""The monarch turns him to his royal guest."
  • Turn To cause to present a different side uppermost or outmost; to make the upper side the lower, or the inside to be the outside of; to reverse the position of; as, to turn a box or a board; to turn a coat.
  • Turn To change from a given use or office; to divert, as to another purpose or end; to transfer; to use or employ; to apply; to devote. "Therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David.""God will make these evils the occasion of a greater good, by turning them to advantage in this world.""When the passage is open, land will be turned most to cattle; when shut, to sheep."
  • Turn To change from ebb to flow, or from flow to ebb; -- said of the tide.
  • Turn To change the form, quality, aspect, or effect of; to alter; to metamorphose; to convert; to transform; -- often with to or into before the word denoting the effect or product of the change; as, to turn a worm into a winged insect; to turn green to blue; to turn prose into verse; to turn a Whig to a Tory, or a Hindu to a Christian; to turn good to evil, and the like. "The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee.""And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.""Impatience turns an ague into a fever."
  • Turn To form in a lathe; to shape or fashion (anything) by applying a cutting tool to it while revolving; as, to turn the legs of stools or tables; to turn ivory or metal. "I had rather hear a brazen canstick turned ."
  • Turn To give another direction, tendency, or inclination to; to direct otherwise; to deflect; to incline differently; -- used both literally and figuratively; as, to turn the eyes to the heavens; to turn a horse from the road, or a ship from her course; to turn the attention to or from something. "Expert when to advance, or stand, or, turn the sway of battle.""Thrice I deluded her, and turned to sport
    Her importunity.""My thoughts are turned on peace."
  • Turn (Print) To invert a type of the same thickness, as temporary substitute for any sort which is exhausted.
  • Turn To make a turn about or around (something); to go or pass around by turning; as, to turn a corner. "The ranges are not high or steep, and one can turn a kopje instead of cutting or tunneling through it."
  • Turn To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle, etc.: as, to turn cider or wine; electricity turns milk quickly.
  • Turn To move round; to have a circular motion; to revolve entirely, repeatedly, or partially; to change position, so as to face differently; to whirl or wheel round; as, a wheel turns on its axis; a spindle turns on a pivot; a man turns on his heel. "The gate . . . on golden hinges turning ."
  • Turn To result or terminate; to come about; to eventuate; to issue. "If we repent seriously, submit contentedly, and serve him faithfully, afflictions shall turn to our advantage."
  • Turn To sicken; to nauseate; as, an emetic turns one's stomach.
  • Turn To translate; to construe; as, to turn the Iliad.
  • Turn To undergo the process of turning on a lathe; as, ivory turns well.
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• Interesting fact: For two years, during the 1970s, Mattel marketed a doll called "Growing Up Skipper." Her breasts grew when her arm was turned.
• • v.i Turn turn to whirl round: to hinge: to depend: to issue: to take a different direction or tendency: to become by a change, hence to rebel: to return: to be fickle: to result: to be shaped on the lathe: to sour: to become giddy: to be nauseated: to change from ebb to flow or from flow to ebb: to become inclined in the other direction
  • v.t Turn to cause to revolve: to reverse: to pass round: to direct, apply: to send, drive: to fold, remake: to translate: to make sour: to change the position or the direction of: to nauseate, to make giddy: to direct the mind to: to infatuate or make mad: to cause to return with profit: to transfer: to convert: to form in a lathe: to shape: to round: to adapt: to blunt
  • n Turn act of turning: new direction or tendency, disposition: a walk to and fro: chance: a turning-point, crisis: :
  • n Turn act of turning over, upset, overthrow: a small pie made by turning half of the circular crust over the other which has been covered with fruit, &c.: an apprentice turned over to a new master to complete his apprenticeship: the total amount of the sales in a business for a specified time
  • n Turn (mus.) a melodic embellishment, consisting of a principal tone with two auxiliary tones lying respectively next above and below it: a spell of work, a job
  • n Turn (coll.) a nervous shock: change: a winding: a bend: form: manner: opportunity, convenience: act of kindness or malice: a type turned upside down, owing to a temporary want of the proper letter
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• Vespasian

  

  “Dear me! I must be turning into a god.”
• James A. Garfield

  

  “Things don't turn up in this world until somebody turns them up.”
• Enid Bagnold

  

  “A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again.”
• Napoleon Hill

  

  “All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.”
• Paul Santaguida

  

  “Life is a wilderness of twists and turns, where faith is your only compass.”
• Eric Hoffer

  

  “It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.”

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