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turn - 13 dictionary results

turn

  [turn]
Use turn in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to cause to move around on an axis or about a center; rotate: to turn a wheel.
2. to cause to move around or partly around, as for the purpose of opening, closing, or tightening: to turn a key; to turn the cap of a jar.
3. to reverse the position or placement of: to turn a page; to turn an egg; to turn a person around.
4. to bring the lower layers of (sod, soil, etc.) to the surface, as in plowing.
5. to change the position of, by or as if by rotating; move into a different position: to turn the handle one notch.
6. to change or alter the course of; divert; deflect: He turned the blow with his arm.
7. to change the focus or tendency of: She skillfully turned the conversation away from so unpleasant a subject.
8. to reverse the progress of; cause to retreat: The police turned the advancing rioters by firing over their heads.
9. to change or alter the nature, character, or appearance of: Worry turned his hair gray.
10. to change or convert (usually fol. by into or to): to turn water into ice; to turn tears into laughter.
11. to render or make by some change: Fear turned him cowardly and craven.
12. to change the color of (leaves).
13. to cause to become sour, to ferment, or the like: Warm weather turns milk.
14. to cause (the stomach) to reject food, liquid, etc.; affect with nausea.
15. to change from one language or form of expression to another; translate.
16. to put or apply to some use or purpose: He turned his mind to practical matters.
17. to go or pass around or to the other side of: to turn a street corner.
18. to get beyond or pass (a certain age, time, amount, etc.): His son just turned four.
19. to direct, aim, or set toward, away from, or in a specified direction: to turn the car toward the center of town; to turn one's back to the audience.
20. to direct (the eyes, face, etc.) another way; avert.
21. to shape (a piece of metal, wood, etc.) into rounded form with a cutting tool while rotating the piece on a lathe.
22. to bring into a rounded or curved form in any way.
23. to shape artistically or gracefully, esp. in rounded form.
24. to form or express gracefully: to turn a phrase well.
25. to direct (thought, attention, desire, etc.) toward or away from something.
26. to cause to go; send; drive: to turn a person from one's door.
27. to revolve in the mind; ponder (often fol. by over): He turned the idea over a couple of times before acting on it.
28. to persuade (a person) to change or reorder the course of his or her life.
29. to cause to be prejudiced against: to turn a son against his father.
30. to maintain a steady flow or circulation of (money or articles of commerce).
31. to earn or gain: He turned a huge profit on the sale.
32. to reverse or remake (a garment, shirt collar, etc.) so that the inner side becomes the outer.
33. to pour from one container into another by inverting.
34. to curve, bend, or twist.
35. to twist out of position or sprain; wrench: He turned his ankle.
36. to bend back or blunt (the edge of a blade).
37. to perform (a gymnastic feat) by rotating or revolving: to turn a somersault.
38. to disturb the mental balance of; distract; derange.
39. to disorder or upset the placement or condition of: He turned the room upside down.
40. Obsolete.
a. to convert.
b. to pervert.
–verb (used without object)
41. to move around on an axis or about a center; rotate.
42. to move partly around through the arc of a circle, as a door on a hinge.
43. to hinge or depend (usually fol. by on or upon): The question turns on this point.
44. to direct or set one's course toward, away from, or in a particular direction.
45. to direct the face or gaze toward or away from someone or something.
46. to direct one's thought, attention, desire, etc., toward or away from someone or something.
47. to give or apply one's interest, attention, effort, etc., to something; pursue: He turned to the study and practice of medicine.
48. to change or reverse a course so as to go in a different or the opposite direction: to turn to the right.
49. to change position so as to face in a different or the opposite direction.
50. to change or reverse position or posture as by a rotary motion.
51. to shift the body about as if on an axis: to turn on one's side while sleeping.
52. to assume a curved form; bend.
53. to become blunted or dulled by bending, as the cutting edge of a knife or saw.
54. to be affected with nausea, as the stomach.
55. to be affected with giddiness or dizziness; have a sensation of whirling or reeling.
56. to adopt religion, a manner of life, etc., esp. as differing from a previous position or attitude: He turned to Christianity in his old age.
57. to change or transfer one's loyalties; defect: He turned from the Democrats and joined the Republicans.
58. to change an attitude or policy: to turn in favor of someone; to turn against a person.
59. to change or alter, as in nature, character, or appearance.
60. to become sour, rancid, fermented, or the like, as milk or butter.
61. to change color: The leaves began to turn in October.
62. to change so as to be; become: a lawyer turned poet; to turn pale.
63. to become mentally unbalanced or distracted.
64. to put about or tack, as a ship.
65. Journalism. (of copy) to run either from the bottom of the last column on one page to the top of the first column on the following page or from one column on a page to the expected place in the next column on the page (opposed to jump ).
–noun
66. a movement of partial or total rotation: a slight turn of the handle.
67. an act of changing or reversing position or posture, as by a rotary movement: a turn of the head.
68. a time or opportunity for action which comes in due rotation or order to each of a number of persons, animals, etc.: It's my turn to pay the bill.
69. an act of changing or reversing the course or direction: to make a turn to the right.
70. a place or point at which such a change occurs.
71. a place where a road, river, or the like turns; bend: About a mile ahead, you'll come to a turn in the road.
72. a single revolution, as of a wheel.
73. an act of turning so as to face or go in a different direction.
74. direction, drift, or trend: The conversation took an interesting turn.
75. any change, as in nature, character, condition, affairs, circumstances, etc.; alteration; modification: a turn for the better.
76. the point or time of change.
77. the time during which a worker or a set of workers is at work in alternation with others.
78. that which is done by each of a number of persons acting in rotation or succession.
79. rounded or curved form.
80. the shape or mold in which something is formed or cast.
81. a passing or twisting of one thing around another, as of a rope around a mast.
82. the state of or a manner of being twisted.
83. a single circular or convoluted shape, as of a coiled or wound rope.
84. a small latch operated by a turning knob or lever.
85. style, as of expression or language.
86. a distinctive form or style imparted: a happy turn of expression.
87. a short walk, ride, or the like out and back, esp. by different routes: Let's go for a turn in the park.
88. a natural inclination, bent, tendency, or aptitude: one's turn of mind.
89. a spell or period of work; shift.
90. a spell or bout of action or activity, esp. in wrestling.
91. an attack of illness or the like.
92. an act of service or disservice: He once did her a good turn. She repaid it with a bad turn.
93. requirement, exigency, or need: This will serve your turn.
94. treatment or rendering, esp. with reference to the form or content of a work of literature, art, etc.; twist: He gave the story a new turn.
95. Informal. a nervous shock, as from fright or astonishment: It certainly gave me quite a turn to see him.
96. Stock Exchange. a complete securities transaction that includes both a purchase and sale.
97. Music. a melodic embellishment or grace, commonly consisting of a principal tone with two auxiliary tones, one above and the other below it.
98. Chiefly British. an individual stage performance, esp. in a vaudeville theater or music hall.
99. Military. a drill movement by which a formation changes fronts.
100. a contest or round; a bout, as in wrestling.
—Verb phrases
101. turn back,
a. to retrace one's footsteps; turn around to return.
b. to cause to go no further or to return, as by not welcoming; send away.
c. to fold (a blanket, sheet of paper, etc.) on itself: Turn back the page to keep the place.
102. turn down,
a. to turn over; fold down.
b. to lower in intensity; lessen.
c. to refuse or reject (a person, request, etc.): The Marine Corps turned him down.
103. turn in,
a. to hand in; submit: to turn in a resignation.
b. to inform on or deliver up: She promptly turned him in to the police.
c. to turn from one path or course into another; veer.
d. Informal. to go to bed; retire: I never turn in before eleven o'clock.
104. turn into,
a. to drive a vehicle or to walk into (a street, store, etc.): We turned into the dead-end street. He turned into the saloon at the corner.
b. to be changed, transformed, or converted into: He has turned into a very pleasant fellow. The caterpillar turned into a butterfly.
105. turn off,
a. to stop the flow of (water, gas, etc.), as by closing a faucet or valve.
b. to extinguish (a light).
c. to divert; deflect.
d. to diverge or branch off, as a side road from a main road.
e. to drive a vehicle or walk onto (a side road) from a main road: You turn off at 96th Street. Turn off the highway on the dirt road.
f. Slang. to stop listening: You could see him turn off as the speaker droned on.
g. Slang. to disaffect, alienate, or disgust.
h. Chiefly British. to discharge an employee.
106. turn on,
a. to cause (water, gas, etc.) to flow, as by opening a valve.
b. to switch on (a light).
c. to put into operation; activate.
d. to start suddenly to affect or show: She turned on the charm and won him over.
e. Slang. to induce (a person) to start taking a narcotic drug.
f. Slang. to take a narcotic drug.
g. Slang. to arouse or excite the interest of; engage: the first lecture that really turned me on.
h. Slang. to arouse sexually.
i. Also, turn upon. to become suddenly hostile to: The dog turned on its owner.
107. turn out,
a. to extinguish (a light).
b. to produce as the result of labor: She turned out four tapestries a year.
c. to drive out; dismiss; discharge: a premier turned out of office.
d. to fit out; dress; equip.
e. to result; issue.
f. to come to be; become ultimately.
g. to be found or known; prove.
h. to be present at; appear.
i. Informal. to get out of bed.
j. Nautical. to order (a seaman or seamen) from quarters for duty.
k. to cause to turn outward, as the toes.
108. turn over,
a. to move or be moved from one side to another.
b. to put in reverse position; invert.
c. to consider; meditate; ponder.
d. to transfer; give.
e. to start (an engine): He turned over the car motor.
f. (of an engine) to start: The motor turned over without any trouble.
g. Commerce. to purchase and then sell (goods or commodities).
h. Commerce. to do business or sell goods to the amount of (a specified sum).
i. Commerce. to invest or recover (capital) in some transaction or in the course of business.
109. turn to,
a. to apply to for aid; appeal to: When he was starting out as an artist he turned to his friends for loans.
b. to begin to attend to or work at something: After the storm we turned to and cleaned up the debris.
c. to change to: The ice turned to water.
110. turn up,
a. to fold (material, a hem, cuffs, etc.) up or over in order to alter a garment.
b. to bring to the surface by digging: to turn up a shovelful of earth.
c. to uncover; find.
d. to intensify or increase.
e. to happen; occur: Let's wait and see what turns up.
f. to appear; arrive: She turned up at the last moment.
g. to be recovered: I'm sure your watch will turn up eventually.
h. to come to notice; be seen.
—Idioms
111. at every turn, in every case or instance; constantly: We met with kindness at every turn.
112. by turns, one after another; in rotation or succession; alternately: They did their shopping and cleaning by turns.
113. hand's turn, a period or piece of work: It won't be necessary for you to do a hand's turn yourself, but rather to supervise.
114. in turn, in due order of succession: Each generation in turn must grapple with the same basic problems.
115. on the turn, on the verge or in the process of turning; changing: She said she hoped to be alive to see the century on the turn.
116. out of turn,
a. not in the correct succession; out of proper order.
b. at an unsuitable time; imprudently; indiscreetly: He spoke out of turn and destroyed the cordial atmosphere of the meeting.
117. take turns, to succeed one another in order; rotate; alternate: They took turns walking the dog.
118. to a turn, to just the proper degree; to perfection: The steak was done to a turn.
119. turn and turn about or turn about, by turns: They fought the fire, turn and turn about, until daybreak.
120. turn one's hand to. hand (def. 87).
121. turn the tables. table (def. 24).
122. turn the tide. tide 1 (def. 16).
Origin:
bef. 1000; (v.) ME turnen, partly continuing OE turnian, tyrnan < L tornāre to turn in a lathe, round off (deriv. of tornus lathe < Gk tórnos tool for making circles), partly < OF torner, t(o)urner < L, as above; (n.) ME, partly deriv. of the v., partly < AF *torn, t(o)urn; OF tor, t(o)ur < L tornus, as above

Related forms:
turn⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
9. metamorphose, transmute, transform. 23, 24. fashion, mold. 41. Turn, revolve, rotate, spin indicate moving in a more or less rotary, circular fashion. Turn is the general and popular word for motion on an axis or around a center, but it is used also of motion that is less than a complete circle: A gate turns on its hinges. Revolve refers esp. to movement in an orbit around a center, but is sometimes exchangeable with rotate, which refers only to the motion of a body around its own center or axis: The moon revolves about the earth. The earth rotates on its axis. To spin is to rotate very rapidly: A top spins. 66. spin, gyration, revolution. 75. deviation, bend, twist, vicissitude, variation. 88. talent, proclivity. Turn, cast, twist are colloquial in use and imply a bent, inclination, or habit. Turn means a tendency or inclination for something: a turn for art. Cast means an established habit of thought, manner, or style: a melancholy cast. Twist means a bias: a strange twist of thought.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To turn
turn   (tûrn)   
v.   turned, turn·ing, turns

v.   tr.
  1. To cause to move around an axis or center; cause to rotate or revolve.
  2. To cause to move around in order to achieve a result, such as opening, closing, tightening, or loosening: turn the key; turn a screw.
  3. To alter or control the functioning of (a mechanical device, for example) by the use of a rotating or similar movement: turned the iron to a hotter setting.
  4. To perform or accomplish by rotating or revolving: turn a somersault.
    1. To change the position of so that the underside becomes the upper side: turn the steak; turn a page.
    2. To spade or plow (soil) to bring the undersoil to the surface.
    3. To reverse and resew the material of (a collar, for example).
    4. To give a rounded form to (wood, for example) by rotating against a cutting tool.
    5. To give a rounded shape to (clay, for example) by rotating and shaping with the hands or tools.
    6. To give a rounded form to: turn a heel in knitting a sock.
    7. To give distinctive, artistic, or graceful form to: "They know precisely how to turn a dramatic line or phrase that is guaranteed to make the evening news" (William Safire).
    8. To change the position of by traversing an arc of a circle; pivot: turned his chair toward the speaker.
    9. To present in a specified direction by rotating or pivoting: turn one's face to the wall.
    10. To cause (a scale) to move up or down so as to register weight: Even a feather will turn a delicate scale.
    11. To fold, bend, or twist (something).
    12. To change the position or disposition of by folding, bending, or twisting: Turn the design right side up on your jacket buttons. Turn the hat inside out.
    13. To make a bend or curve in: strong enough to turn a bar of steel.
    14. To blunt or dull (the edge of a cutting instrument).
    15. To injure by twisting: turn an ankle.
    16. To upset or make nauseated: That story turns my stomach.
    17. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
    18. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
    19. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    20. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    21. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    22. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
  6. To revolve in the mind; meditate on; ponder.
    1. To give a rounded form to (wood, for example) by rotating against a cutting tool.
    2. To give a rounded shape to (clay, for example) by rotating and shaping with the hands or tools.
    3. To give a rounded form to: turn a heel in knitting a sock.
    4. To give distinctive, artistic, or graceful form to: "They know precisely how to turn a dramatic line or phrase that is guaranteed to make the evening news" (William Safire).
    5. To change the position of by traversing an arc of a circle; pivot: turned his chair toward the speaker.
    6. To present in a specified direction by rotating or pivoting: turn one's face to the wall.
    7. To cause (a scale) to move up or down so as to register weight: Even a feather will turn a delicate scale.
    8. To fold, bend, or twist (something).
    9. To change the position or disposition of by folding, bending, or twisting: Turn the design right side up on your jacket buttons. Turn the hat inside out.
    10. To make a bend or curve in: strong enough to turn a bar of steel.
    11. To blunt or dull (the edge of a cutting instrument).
    12. To injure by twisting: turn an ankle.
    13. To upset or make nauseated: That story turns my stomach.
    14. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
    15. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
    16. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    17. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    18. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    19. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
    1. To change the position of by traversing an arc of a circle; pivot: turned his chair toward the speaker.
    2. To present in a specified direction by rotating or pivoting: turn one's face to the wall.
    3. To cause (a scale) to move up or down so as to register weight: Even a feather will turn a delicate scale.
    4. To fold, bend, or twist (something).
    5. To change the position or disposition of by folding, bending, or twisting: Turn the design right side up on your jacket buttons. Turn the hat inside out.
    6. To make a bend or curve in: strong enough to turn a bar of steel.
    7. To blunt or dull (the edge of a cutting instrument).
    8. To injure by twisting: turn an ankle.
    9. To upset or make nauseated: That story turns my stomach.
    10. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
    11. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
    12. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    13. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    14. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    15. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
    1. To fold, bend, or twist (something).
    2. To change the position or disposition of by folding, bending, or twisting: Turn the design right side up on your jacket buttons. Turn the hat inside out.
    3. To make a bend or curve in: strong enough to turn a bar of steel.
    4. To blunt or dull (the edge of a cutting instrument).
    5. To injure by twisting: turn an ankle.
    6. To upset or make nauseated: That story turns my stomach.
    7. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
    8. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
    9. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    10. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    11. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    12. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
  10. To change the direction or course of: turn the car to the left.
    1. To divert or deflect: turn a stampede.
    2. To reverse the course of; cause to retreat: "Then turn your forces from this paltry siege/And stir them up against a mightier task" (Shakespeare).
    3. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    4. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    5. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    6. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
  12. To make a course around or about: turn a corner.
  13. To change the purpose, intention, or content of by persuasion or influence: Her speech turned my thinking.
  14. To change the order or disposition of; unsettle: "Sudden prosperity had turned [his] head" (Thomas Macaulay).
    1. To aim or focus: turn one's gaze to the sky; turned the camera on the speaker.
    2. To devote or apply (oneself, for example) to something: She turned herself to law.
    3. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    4. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
  16. To cause to act or go against; make antagonistic: The scandal turned public opinion against the candidate.
  17. To cause to go in a specific direction; direct: They turned their steps toward home.
  18. To send, drive, or let go: turn the bully out of the bar; turned the dog loose.
  19. To pour, let fall, or otherwise release (contents) from or into a receptacle: Turn the dough onto a floured board.
  20. To cause to take on a specified character, nature, identity, or appearance; change or transform. Used with to or into: water that had been turned to ice; turn a rundown house into a show place.
  21. To make sour; ferment: Lack of refrigeration turned the milk.
  22. To affect or change the color of: Autumn turns the green leaves golden.
  23. To exchange; convert. Used with to or into: turns her singing talent into extra money.
  24. To keep in circulation; sell and restock: We turned a great deal of merchandise during the holidays.
    1. To make use of: turned the situation to our advantage.
    2. To get by buying and selling: turn a fair profit.
  26. To perform successfully; complete: turn a double play.
  27. Slang To perform (an act of prostitution): turning tricks.
v.   intr.
  1. To move around an axis or center; rotate or revolve.
  2. To have a sensation of revolving or whirling, especially as a result of dizziness or giddiness.
  3. To change position from side to side or back and forth: I tossed and turned all night.
  4. To progress through pages so as to arrive at a given place: Please turn to page 31.
    1. To operate a lathe.
    2. To be formed on a lathe: a softwood that turns easily.
    3. To change so as to be; become: His hair turned gray. I am a lawyer turned novelist.
    4. To change; become transformed. Used with to or into: The sky turned to pink at dawn. The night turned into day.
    5. To reach and pass (a certain age, for example): My niece has turned two.
  6. To direct one's way or course: The truck turned into the gas station. Turn off the highway at the next exit.
  7. To change or reverse one's way, course, or direction: Too tired to go farther, we turned toward home.
  8. To have a specific reaction or effect, especially when adverse.
  9. To change one's actions or attitudes adversely; become hostile or antagonistic: The peasants turned against the cruel king.
  10. To attack suddenly and violently with no apparent motive: The lion turned on the animal trainer.
  11. To channel one's attention, interest, or thought toward or away from something: "In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love" (Tennyson).
  12. To devote or apply oneself to something, as to a field of study: Unsuccessful in math, the student turned to biology.
  13. To convert to a religion.
  14. To switch one's loyalty from one side or party to another.
  15. To have recourse to a person or thing for help, support, or information.
  16. To depend on something for success or failure; hinge: "The election would turn not on ideology but on competence" (George F. Will).
    1. To change so as to be; become: His hair turned gray. I am a lawyer turned novelist.
    2. To change; become transformed. Used with to or into: The sky turned to pink at dawn. The night turned into day.
    3. To reach and pass (a certain age, for example): My niece has turned two.
  18. To become sour: The milk will turn if you don't refrigerate it.
  19. To change color: The leaves have turned.
  20. To be stocked and sold: This merchandise will turn easily.
  21. To become dull or blunt by bending back. Used of the edge of a cutting instrument.
n.  
  1. The act of turning or the condition of being turned; rotation or revolution.
  2. A change of direction, motion, or position: Make a left turn at the corner.
  3. A place, as in a road or path, where a change in direction occurs; a curve: a sharp turn in the road.
  4. A departure or deviation, as in a trend: a strange turn of events.
  5. A point marking the end of one period of time and the beginning of the next: the turn of the century.
    1. A chance or opportunity.
    2. One of a series of such opportunities accorded people in succession or in scheduled order: waiting for her next turn at bat.
    3. An attack of illness or severe nervousness.
    4. Informal A momentary shock or scare: I had quite a turn when I heard the crash.
    5. A movement or development in a particular direction: a turn for the worse.
    6. A variation of a given kind or type: "His muse occasionally takes a humorous and satirical turn" (Albert C. Baugh).
    7. A winding of one thing about another.
    8. A single wind or convolution, as of wire on a spool.
    9. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    10. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    11. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    12. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
    13. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    14. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    15. To excite or become excited sexually.
    16. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    17. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    18. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    19. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  7. A period of participation: a turn at wrestling.
    1. An attack of illness or severe nervousness.
    2. Informal A momentary shock or scare: I had quite a turn when I heard the crash.
    3. A movement or development in a particular direction: a turn for the worse.
    4. A variation of a given kind or type: "His muse occasionally takes a humorous and satirical turn" (Albert C. Baugh).
    5. A winding of one thing about another.
    6. A single wind or convolution, as of wire on a spool.
    7. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    8. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    9. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    10. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
    11. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    12. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    13. To excite or become excited sexually.
    14. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    15. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    16. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    17. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  9. A characteristic mood, style, or habit; a natural inclination: an inquisitive turn of mind.
  10. A propensity or adeptness: She has a turn for carpentry.
  11. A distinctive, graceful, or artistic expression or arrangement of words: the poetic turn of a phrase.
    1. A movement or development in a particular direction: a turn for the worse.
    2. A variation of a given kind or type: "His muse occasionally takes a humorous and satirical turn" (Albert C. Baugh).
    3. A winding of one thing about another.
    4. A single wind or convolution, as of wire on a spool.
    5. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    6. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    7. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    8. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
    9. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    10. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    11. To excite or become excited sexually.
    12. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    13. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    14. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    15. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  13. A deed or action having a good or bad effect on another: "He thought some friend had done him an ill turn" (Stephen Crane).
  14. Advantage or purpose: It served his turn.
  15. A short walk or excursion out and back: took a turn in the park.
  16. A distortion in shape.
  17. The condition of being twisted or wound.
    1. A winding of one thing about another.
    2. A single wind or convolution, as of wire on a spool.
    3. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    4. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    5. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    6. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
    7. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    8. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    9. To excite or become excited sexually.
    10. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    11. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    12. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    13. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  19. Something that winds or turns around a center axis.
  20. Music A figure or ornament, usually consisting of four or more notes in rapid succession and including the principal note, the one a degree above it, and the one a degree below it.
  21. A brief theatrical act or stage appearance.
  22. A transaction on the stock market involving both a sale and a purchase.
  23. South Atlantic U.S. The amount that can be carried in the arms in one load: a turn of firewood.
  24. To send away; dismiss: turned away the clerk.
  25. To repel: The poor location of the house turned away prospective buyers.
  26. To avert; deflect: turned away all criticism.
  27. To reverse one's direction of motion: stopped on the road and had to turn back.
  28. To drive back and away: turned back the uninvited comers.
  29. To halt the advance of: turned back the advancing army.
  30. To fold down: Turn back the page's corner to save your place in the book.
  31. To diminish the speed, volume, intensity, or flow of: Turn down the radio, please.
  32. To reject or refuse, as a person, advice, or a suggestion: turned down the invitation.
  33. To fold or be capable of folding down: turn a collar down; a collar that turns down.
  34. To hand in; give over: turned in the final exam.
  35. To inform on or deliver: The criminal turned herself in.
  36. To produce: turns in a consistent performance every day.
  37. Informal To go to bed: I turned in early last night.
  38. To stop the operation, activity, or flow of; shut off: turned off the television.
  39. Slang
    1. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    2. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    3. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    4. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
    5. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    6. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    7. To excite or become excited sexually.
    8. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    9. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    10. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    11. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  40. To divert; deflect.
  41. Chiefly British To dismiss (an employee).
  42. To cause to begin the operation, activity, or flow of: Turn on the light bulb.
  43. To begin to display, employ, or exude: turn on the charm.
  44. Slang
    1. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    2. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    3. To excite or become excited sexually.
    4. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    5. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    6. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    7. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  45. To shut off: turned out the lights.
  46. To arrive or assemble, as for a public event or entertainment: Many protesters have turned out.
  47. To produce, as by a manufacturing process; make: an assembly line turning out cars.
  48. To be found to be, as after experience or trial: The rookie turned out to be the team's best hitter.
  49. To end up; result: The cake turned out beautifully.
  50. To equip; outfit: troops that were turned out lavishly
  51. Informal To get out of bed.
  52. To evict; expel: The tenants were turned out.
  53. To bring the bottom to the top or vice versa; invert.
    1. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    2. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
    3. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    4. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  55. To rotate; cycle: The engine turned over but wouldn't start.
  56. To think about; consider: turned over the problem in her mind.
  57. To transfer to another; surrender: turned over the illegal funds.
  58. Sports To lose possession of (the ball).
  59. To do business to the extent or amount of: turn over a million dollars a year.
  60. To seem to lurch or heave convulsively: My stomach turned over.
  61. To increase the speed, volume, intensity, or flow of: Turn up the radio.
    1. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    2. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  63. To make an appearance; arrive: Many old friends turned up at the reunion.
  64. To fold or be capable of folding up: turning up his cuffs; cuffs that will turn up.
  65. To happen unexpectedly: Something turned up, so I couldn't go.
  66. To be evident: a sculptor whose name turns up in the art circles.
Phrasal Verb(s):
turn away
  1. To send away; dismiss: turned away the clerk.
  2. To repel: The poor location of the house turned away prospective buyers.
  3. To avert; deflect: turned away all criticism.
turn back
  1. To reverse one's direction of motion: stopped on the road and had to turn back.
  2. To drive back and away: turned back the uninvited comers.
  3. To halt the advance of: turned back the advancing army.
  4. To fold down: Turn back the page's corner to save your place in the book.
turn down
  1. To diminish the speed, volume, intensity, or flow of: Turn down the radio, please.
  2. To reject or refuse, as a person, advice, or a suggestion: turned down the invitation.
  3. To fold or be capable of folding down: turn a collar down; a collar that turns down.
turn in
  1. To hand in; give over: turned in the final exam.
  2. To inform on or deliver: The criminal turned herself in.
  3. To produce: turns in a consistent performance every day.
  4. Informal To go to bed: I turned in early last night.
turn off
  1. To stop the operation, activity, or flow of; shut off: turned off the television.
  2. Slang
    1. To affect with dislike, displeasure, or revulsion: That song really turns me off.
    2. To affect with boredom: The play turned the audience off.
    3. To lose or cause to lose interest; withdraw: turning off to materialism.
    4. To cease paying attention to: The student turned off the boring lecture and daydreamed.
  3. To divert; deflect.
  4. Chiefly British To dismiss (an employee).
turn on
  1. To cause to begin the operation, activity, or flow of: Turn on the light bulb.
  2. To begin to display, employ, or exude: turn on the charm.
  3. Slang
    1. To take or cause to take a mind-altering drug, especially for the first time.
    2. To be or cause to become interested, pleasurably excited, or stimulated. Often used with to: My aunt turned me on to jazz. She turned on to surfing this summer.
    3. To excite or become excited sexually.
turn out
  1. To shut off: turned out the lights.
  2. To arrive or assemble, as for a public event or entertainment: Many protesters have turned out.
  3. To produce, as by a manufacturing process; make: an assembly line turning out cars.
  4. To be found to be, as after experience or trial: The rookie turned out to be the team's best hitter.
  5. To end up; result: The cake turned out beautifully.
  6. To equip; outfit: troops that were turned out lavishly
  7. Informal To get out of bed.
  8. To evict; expel: The tenants were turned out.
turn over
  1. To bring the bottom to the top or vice versa; invert.
    1. To shift the position of, as by rolling from one side to the other.
    2. To shift one's position by rolling from one side to the other.
  3. To rotate; cycle: The engine turned over but wouldn't start.
  4. To think about; consider: turned over the problem in her mind.
  5. To transfer to another; surrender: turned over the illegal funds.
  6. Sports To lose possession of (the ball).
  7. To do business to the extent or amount of: turn over a million dollars a year.
  8. To seem to lurch or heave convulsively: My stomach turned over.
turn toTo begin work: If you quit dawdling and just turn to, your chores will be done soon.
turn up
  1. To increase the speed, volume, intensity, or flow of: Turn up the radio.
    1. To find: She turned up the missing keys under her briefcase.
    2. To be found: The papers will turn up sooner or later.
  3. To make an appearance; arrive: Many old friends turned up at the reunion.
  4. To fold or be capable of folding up: turning up his cuffs; cuffs that will turn up.
  5. To happen unexpectedly: Something turned up, so I couldn't go.
  6. To be evident: a sculptor whose name turns up in the art circles.

Idiom(s):
at every turnIn every place; at every moment.

Idiom(s):
by turnsOne after another; alternately: "From the ... testimony emerges a man by turns devious and honest, vulgar and gallant, scatterbrained and shrewd" (Life).

Idiom(s):
in turnIn the proper order or sequence.

Idiom(s):
out of turn
  1. Not in the proper order or sequence.
  2. At an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate manner: The student was reprimanded for speaking out of turn.

Idiom(s):
to a turnTo a precise degree; perfectly: The roast was done to a turn.

Idiom(s):
turn a blind eyeTo refuse to see or recognize something: turned a blind eye to tax fraud.

Idiom(s):
turn a deaf earTo refuse to listen to or hear something: turned a deaf ear to the protests.

Idiom(s):
turn a hairTo become afraid or upset: didn't turn a hair during the crisis.

Idiom(s):
turn (one's) back on
  1. To deny; reject.
  2. To abandon; forsake.

Idiom(s):
turn (one's) handTo apply oneself, as to a task: turned her hand to writing the report.

Idiom(s):
turn (one's) head
  1. To cause to become infatuated.
  2. To cause to become egotistical and conceited: Success has turned his head.

Idiom(s):
turn over a new leafTo change, as one's attitude or conduct, for the better.

Idiom(s):
turn tailTo run away.

Idiom(s):
turn the/a cornerTo reach and surpass a midpoint or milestone.

Idiom(s):
turn the other cheekTo respond to insult or injury by patiently eschewing retaliation.

Idiom(s):
turn the scalesTo offset the balance of a situation.

Idiom(s):
turn the tablesTo reverse a situation and gain the upper hand.

Idiom(s):
turn turtleTo capsize or turn upside-down: Our sailboat turned turtle during the squall.

Idiom(s):
turn up (one's) noseTo regard something with disdain or scorn: turned up her nose at the food.

[Middle English turnen, from Old English turnian, tyrnan and Old French torner, both from Latin tornāre, to turn in a lathe, from tornus, lathe, from Greek tornos; see terə-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: These verbs mean to move or cause to move in a circle. Turn and circle are the most general: The mechanic made sure the wheels turned properly. Seagulls circled above the ocean.
Rotate refers to movement around an object's own axis or center: Earth rotates on its axis once each day.
Revolve involves orbital movement: Earth revolves around the sun.
Gyrate suggests revolving in or as if in a spiral course: The top gyrated on the counter and slowly came to a stop.
To spin is to rotate rapidly, often within a narrow compass: "He ... spun round, flung up his arms, and fell on his back, shot through" (John Galsworthy.)
Whirl applies to rapid or forceful revolution or rotation: During the blizzard, snowflakes whirled down from the sky.
Eddy denotes rapid circular movement like that of a whirlpool: Storm clouds eddied overhead.
Swirl can connote a graceful undulation, spiral, or whorl: The baker swirled the icing around the cake. See Also Synonyms at resort.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

turn

(Elec.) A unit equal to the product of one complete convolution (of a coiled conductor) into one amp[`e]re of current; thus, a conductor having five convolutions and carrying a current of half an amp[`e]re is said to have 21/2 amp[`e]re turns. The magnetizing effect of a coil is proportional to the number of its amp[`e]re turns.

Turn

Turn\, v. t. 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. --James Bryce.

To turn turtle, to capsize bottom upward; -- said of a vessel. [Naut. slang] -- To turn under (Agric.), to put, as soil, manure, etc., underneath from the surface by plowing, digging, or the like.

Turn

Turn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Turned; p. pr. & vb. n. Turning.] [OE. turnen, tournen, OF. tourner, torner, turner, F. tourner, LL. tornare, fr. L. tornare to turn in a lathe, to rounds off, fr. tornus a lathe, Gr. ? a turner's chisel, a carpenter's tool for drawing circles; probably akin to E. throw. See Throw, and cf. Attorney, Return, Tornado, Tour, Tournament.]

1. 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. --Milton.

The monarch turns him to his royal guest. --Pope.

2. 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.

3. 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." --Milton.

Thrice I deluded her, and turned to sport Her importunity. --Milton.

My thoughts are turned on peace. --Addison.

4. 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. --1 Chron. x. 14.

God will make these evils the occasion of a greater good, by turning them to advantage in this world. --Tillotson.

When the passage is open, land will be turned most to cattle; when shut, to sheep. --Sir W. Temple.

5. 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. --Deut. xxx. 3.

And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. --2 Sam. xv. 31.

Impatience turns an ague into a fever. --Jer. Taylor.

6. 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. --Shak.

7. Hence, to give form to; to shape; to mold; to put in proper condition; to adapt. "The poet's pen turns them to shapes." --Shak.

His limbs how turned, how broad his shoulders spread ! --Pope.

He was perfectly well turned for trade. --Addison.

8. Specifically: (a) To translate; to construe; as, to turn the Iliad.

Who turns a Persian tale for half a crown. --Pope. (b) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle, etc.: as, to turn cider or wine; electricity turns milk quickly. (c) To sicken; to nauseate; as, an emetic turns one's stomach.

To be turned of, be advanced beyond; as, to be turned of sixty-six.

To turn a cold shoulder to, to treat with neglect or indifference.

To turn a corner, to go round a corner.

To turn adrift, to cast off, to cease to care for.

To turn a flange (Mech.), to form a flange on, as around a metal sheet or boiler plate, by stretching, bending, and hammering, or rolling the metal.

To turn against. (a) To direct against; as, to turn one's arguments against himself. (b) To make unfavorable or hostile to; as, to turn one's friends against him.

To turn a hostile army, To turn the enemy's flank, or the like (Mil.), to pass round it, and take a position behind it or upon its side.

To turn a penny, or To turn an honest penny, to make a small profit by trade, or the like.

To turn around one's finger, to have complete control of the will and actions of; to be able to influence at pleasure.

To turn aside, to avert.

To turn away. (a) To dismiss from service; to discard; as, to turn away a servant. (b) To avert; as, to turn away wrath or evil.

To turn back. (a) To give back; to return.

We turn not back the silks upon the merchants, When we have soiled them. --Shak. (b) To cause to return or retrace one's steps; hence, to drive away; to repel. --Shak.

To turn down. (a) To fold or double down. (b) To turn over so as to conceal the face of; as, to turn down cards. (c) To lower, or reduce in size, by turning a valve, stopcock, or the like; as, turn down the lights.

To turn in. (a) To fold or double under; as, to turn in the edge of cloth. (b) To direct inwards; as, to turn the toes in when walking. (c) To contribute; to deliver up; as, he turned in a large amount. [Colloq.]

To turn in the mind, to revolve, ponder, or meditate upon; -- with about, over, etc. " Turn these ideas about in your mind." --I. Watts.

To turn off. (a) To dismiss contemptuously; as, to turn off a sycophant or a parasite. (b) To give over; to reduce. (c) To divert; to deflect; as, to turn off the thoughts from serious subjects; to turn off a joke. (d) To accomplish; to perform, as work. (e) (Mech.) To remove, as a surface, by the process of turning; to reduce in size by turning. (f) To shut off, as a fluid, by means of a valve, stopcock, or other device; to stop the passage of; as, to turn off the water or the gas.

To turn on, to cause to flow by turning a valve, stopcock, or the like; to give passage to; as, to turn on steam.

To turn one's coat, to change one's uniform or colors; to go over to the opposite party.

To turn one's goods or money, and the like, to exchange in the course of trade; to keep in lively exchange or circulation; to gain or increase in trade.

To turn one's hand to, to adapt or apply one's self to; to engage in.

To turn out. (a) To drive out; to expel; as, to turn a family out of doors; to turn a man out of office.

I'll turn you out of my kingdom. -- Shak. (b) to put to pasture, as cattle or horses. (c) To produce, as the result of labor, or any process of manufacture; to furnish in a completed state. (d) To reverse, as a pocket, bag, etc., so as to bring the inside to the outside; hence, to produce. (e) To cause to cease, or to put out, by turning a stopcock, valve, or the like; as, to turn out the lights.

To turn over. (a) To change or reverse the position of; to overset; to overturn; to cause to roll over. (b) To transfer; as, to turn over business to another hand. (c) To read or examine, as a book, while, turning the leaves. "We turned o'er many books together." --Shak. (d) To handle in business; to do business to the amount of; as, he turns over millions a year. [Colloq.]

To turn over a new leaf. See under Leaf.

To turn tail, to run away; to retreat ignominiously.

To turn the back, to flee; to retreat.

To turn the back on or

upon, to treat with contempt; to reject or refuse unceremoniously.

To turn the corner, to pass the critical stage; to get by the worst point; hence, to begin to improve, or to succeed.

To turn the die or dice, to change fortune.

To turn the edge or point of, to bend over the edge or point of so as to make dull; to blunt.

To turn the head or brain of, to make giddy, wild, insane, or the like; to infatuate; to overthrow the reason or judgment of; as, a little success turned his head.

To turn the scale or balance, to change the preponderance; to decide or determine something doubtful.

To turn the stomach of, to nauseate; to sicken.

To turn the tables, to reverse the chances or conditions of success or superiority; to give the advantage to the person or side previously at a disadvantage.

To turn tippet, to make a change. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.

To turn to profit, advantage, etc., to make profitable or advantageous.

To turn up. (a) To turn so as to bring the bottom side on top; as, to turn up the trump. (b) To bring from beneath to the surface, as in plowing, digging, etc. (c) To give an upward curve to; to tilt; as, to turn up the nose.

To turn upon, to retort; to throw back; as, to turn the arguments of an opponent upon himself.

To turn upside down, to confuse by putting things awry; to throw into disorder.

This house is turned upside down since Robin Ostler died. --Shak.

Turn

Turn\, v. i. 1. 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. --Milton.

2. 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. --Swift.

3. 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. --Wake.

4. 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. --Ex. xxxii. 12.

Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways. --Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

The understanding turns inward on itself, and reflects on its own operations. --Locke.

5. 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 Mohammedan.

I hope you have no intent to turn husband. --Shak.

Cygnets from gray turn white. --Bacon.

6. To undergo the process of turning on a lathe; as, ivory turns well.

7. Specifically: (a) To become acid; to sour; -- said of milk, ale, etc. (b) To become giddy; -- said of the head or brain.

I'll look no more; Lest my brain turn. --Shak. (c) To be nauseated; -- said of the stomach. (d) To become inclined in the other direction; -- said of scales. (e) To change from ebb to flow, or from flow to ebb; -- said of the tide. (f) (Obstetrics) To bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in order to facilitate delivery.

8. (Print.) To invert a type of the same thickness, as temporary substitute for any sort which is exhausted.

To turn about, to face to another quarter; to turn around.

To turn again, to come back after going; to return. --Shak.

To turn against, to become unfriendly or hostile to.

To turn aside or away. (a) To turn from the direct course; to withdraw from a company; to deviate. (b) To depart; to remove. (c) To avert one's face.

To turn back, to turn so as to go in an opposite direction; to retrace one's steps.

To turn in. (a) To bend inward. (b) To enter for lodgings or entertainment. (c) To go to bed. [Colloq.]

To turn into, to enter by making a turn; as, to turn into a side street.

To turn off, to be diverted; to deviate from a course; as, the road turns off to the left.

To turn on or upon. (a) To turn against; to confront in hostility or anger. (b) To reply to or retort. (c) To depend on; as, the result turns on one condition.

To turn out. (a) To move from its place, as a bone. (b) To bend or point outward; as, his toes turn out. (c) To rise from bed. [Colloq.] (d) To come abroad; to appear; as, not many turned out to the fire. (e) To prove in the result; to issue; to result; as, the crops turned out poorly.

To turn over, to turn from side to side; to roll; to tumble.

To turn round. (a) To change position so as to face in another direction. (b) To change one's opinion; to change from one view or party to another.

To turn to, to apply one's self to; have recourse to; to refer to. "Helvicus's tables may be turned to on all occasions." --Locke.

To turn to account, profit, advantage, or the like, to be made profitable or advantageous; to become worth the while.

To turn under, to bend, or be folded, downward or under.

To turn up. (a) To bend, or be doubled, upward. (b) To appear; to come to light; to transpire; to occur; to happen.

Turn

Turn\, n. 1. The act of turning; movement or motion about, or as if about, a center or axis; revolution; as, the turn of a wheel.

2. 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. --Macaulay.

The turns and varieties of all passions. --Hooker.

Too well the turns of mortal chance I know. --Pope.

3. 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. --Byron.

4. 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. --Shak.

I will take a turn in your garden. --Dryden.

5. 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. --Denham.

Every one has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases. --Collier.

6. 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? --Chaucer.

thanks are half lost when good turns are delayed. --Fairfax.

7. Convenience; occasion; purpose; exigence; as, this will not serve his turn.

I have enough to serve mine own turn. --Shak.

8. 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. --Dryden.

The Roman poets, in their description of a beautiful man, often mention the turn of his neck and arms. --Addison.

9. A change of condition; especially, a sudden or recurring symptom of illness, as a nervous shock, or fainting spell; as, a bad turn. [Colloq.]

10. 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. [Obs.]

11. A round of a rope or cord in order to secure it, as about a pin or a cleat.

12. (Mining) A pit sunk in some part of a drift.

13. (Eng. Law) A court of record, held by the sheriff twice a year in every hundred within his county. --Blount.

14. pl. (Med.) Monthly courses; menses. [Colloq.]

15. (Mus.) An embellishment or grace (marked thus, ?), 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 thus ?, or drawn thus ?.

By turns. (a) One after another; alternately; in succession. (b) At intervals. "[They] feel by turns the bitter change." --Milton.

In turn, in due order of succession.

To a turn, exactly; perfectly; as, done to a turn; -- a phrase alluding to the practice of cooking on a revolving spit.

To take turns, to alternate; to succeed one another in due order.

Turn and turn about, by equal alternating periods of service or duty; by turns.

Turn bench, a simple portable lathe, used on a bench by clock makers and watchmakers.

Turn buckle. See Turnbuckle, in Vocabulary.

Turn cap, a sort of chimney cap which turns round with the wind so as to present its opening to the leeward. --G. Francis.

Turn of life (Med.), change of life. See under Change.

Turn screw, a screw driver.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : turn
Spanish: girar,
German: (sich) drehen,
Japanese: 回す
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turn  (v.)
late O.E. turnian "to rotate, revolve," in part also from O.Fr. torner "to turn," both from L. tornare "turn on a lathe," from tornus "lathe," from Gk. tornos "lathe, tool for drawing circles," from PIE base *ter- "to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist" (see throw). Expression to turn (something) into (something else) probably retains the classical sense of "to shape on a lathe" (attested in Eng. from c.1305). To turn up "arrive" is recorded from 1755. Turning-point in the fig. sense is attested from 1836. Turn-off "something that dampens one's spirits" first recorded 1975 (said to have been in use since 1968); to turn (someone) on "excite, stimulate, arouse" is recorded from 1903. Someone should revive turn-sick "dizzy," which is attested from c.1440. To turn (something) loose "set free" is recorded from 1598. Turn around (v.) "reverse" is first attested 1880, Amer.Eng. Turn down (v.) "reject" first recorded 1891, Amer.Eng. Turn in "go to bed" is attested from 1695, originally nautical. To turn the stomach "nauseate" is recorded from 1622. To turn up one's nose as an expression of contempt is attested from 1779.

turn  (n.)
c.1250, "action of rotation," from Anglo-Fr. tourn (O.Fr. tour), from L. tornus "turning lathe;" also partly a noun of action from turn (v.). Meaning "an act of turning, a single revolution or part of a revolution" is attested from 1481. Sense of "place of bending" (in a road, river, etc.) is recorded from 1412. Meaning "beginning of a period of time" is attested from 1853 (e.g. turn of the century, 1926). Sense of "act of good will" is recorded from c.1300. Meaning "spell of work" is from c.1375; that of "an individual's time for action, when these go around in succession" is recorded from c.1393. Turn about "by turns, alternately" is recorded from 1650. Phrase done to a turn (1780) suggests meat roasted on a spit. The turn of the screw (1796) is the additional twist to tighten its hold, sometimes with ref. to torture by thumbscrews.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: turn
Function: intransitive verb
: to have a specified decisive factor —used with on turned on first amendment issues —K. A. Cohen>
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Main Entry: turn
Pronunciation: 't&rn
Function: transitive verb
: to injure by twisting or wrenching <turned his ankle>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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TURN messaging, protocol
An SMTP command with which a client asks the server to open an SMTP connection to the client, thus reversing their roles.
Superseded by ETRN.
(1997-11-21)

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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turn

In addition to the idioms beginning with turn, also see at every turn; by turns; every time one turns around; good turn; in turn; not know where to turn; one good turn deserves another; out of turn; take a turn for the better; take turns; to a T (turn); twist (turn) around one's finger; when someone's back is turned. Also see under unturned.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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