turn

Definitions

1. 1transitive verb

   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.

2. 2transitive verb

   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. 3transitive verb

   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.

4. 4transitive verb

   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.

5. 5transitive verb

   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.

6. 6transitive verb

   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.

7. 7transitive verb

   Hence, to give form to; to shape; to mold; to put in proper condition; to adapt.

8. 8transitive verb

   To translate; to construe; as, to turn the Iliad.

9. 9transitive verb

   To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle, etc.: as, to turn cider or wine; electricity turns milk quickly.

10. 10transitive verb

    To sicken; to nauseate; as, an emetic turns one's stomach.

11. 11intransitive verb

    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.

12. 12intransitive verb

    Hence, to revolve as if upon a point of support; to hinge; to depend; as, the decision turns on a single fact.

13. 13intransitive verb

    To result or terminate; to come about; to eventuate; to issue.

14. 14intransitive verb

    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.

15. 15intransitive verb

    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.

16. 16intransitive verb

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

17. 17intransitive verb

    To become acid; to sour; -- said of milk, ale, etc.

18. 18intransitive verb

    To become giddy; -- said of the head or brain.

19. 19intransitive verb

    To be nauseated; -- said of the stomach.

20. 20intransitive verb

    To become inclined in the other direction; -- said of scales.

21. 21intransitive verb

    To change from ebb to flow, or from flow to ebb; -- said of the tide.

22. 22intransitive verb

    To bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in order to facilitate delivery.

23. 23intransitive verb

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

24. 24noun

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

25. 25noun

    Change of direction, course, or tendency; different order, position, or aspect of affairs; alteration; vicissitude; as, the turn of the tide.

26. 26noun

    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.

27. 27noun

    A circuitous walk, or a walk to and fro, ending where it began; a short walk; a stroll.

28. 28noun

    Successive course; opportunity enjoyed by alternation with another or with others, or in due order; due chance; alternate or incidental occasion; appropriate time.

29. 29noun

    Incidental or opportune deed or office; occasional act of kindness or malice; as, to do one an ill turn.

30. 30noun

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

31. 31noun

    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.

32. 32noun

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

33. 33noun

    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.

34. 34noun

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

35. 35noun

    A pit sunk in some part of a drift.

36. 36noun

    A court of record, held by the sheriff twice a year in every hundred within his county.

37. 37noun

    Monthly courses; menses.

38. 38noun

    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 /.

39. 39noun

    taking a short walk out and back

    "we took a turn in the park"

40. 40noun

    turning or twisting around (in place)

    "with a quick twist of his head he surveyed the room"

    Synonyms

    twist
41. 41noun

    the act of turning away or in the opposite direction

    "he made an abrupt turn away from her"

42. 42noun

    the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

    "he took a turn to the right"

    Synonyms

    turning
43. 43noun

    (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession

    "it is my turn"

    "it is still my play"

    Synonyms

    play
44. 44noun

    a favor for someone

    "he did me a good turn"

45. 45noun

    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"

    Synonyms

    actbitnumberroutine
46. 46noun

    a movement in a new direction

    "the turning of the wind"

    Synonyms

    turning
47. 47noun

    an unforeseen development

    "events suddenly took an awkward turn"

    Synonyms

    twist
48. 48noun

    a circular segment of a curve

    "a bend in the road"

    "a crook in the path"

    Synonyms

    bendcrooktwist
49. 49noun

    (sports) a division during which one team is on the offensive

    Synonyms

    boutround
50. 50noun

    a time for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

    "it's my go"

    "a spell of work"

    Synonyms

    gospelltour
51. 51verb

    twist suddenly so as to sprain

    "wrench one's ankle"

    "The wrestler twisted his shoulder"

    Synonyms

    rickspraintwistwrenchwrick
52. 52verb

    pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

    "The weather turned nasty"

    "She grew angry"

    Synonyms

    grow
53. 53verb

    change to the contrary

    "The trend was reversed"

    "the tides turned against him"

    Synonyms

    reverse
54. 54verb

    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"

55. 55verb

    become officially one year older

    "She is turning 50 this year"

56. 56verb

    change color

    "In Vermont, the leaves turn early"

57. 57verb

    go sour or spoil

    "The milk has soured"

    "The wine worked"

    Synonyms

    fermentsourwork
58. 58verb

    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"

59. 59verb

    direct at someone

    "She turned a smile on me"

    "They turned their flashlights on the car"

60. 60verb

    alter the functioning or setting of

    "turn the dial to 10"

    "turn the heat down"

61. 61verb

    cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form

    "bend the rod"

    "twist the dough into a braid"

    Synonyms

    benddeformflextwist
62. 62verb

    let (something) fall or spill from a container

    "turn the flour onto a plate"

    Synonyms

    release
63. 63verb

    shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel

    "turn the legs of the table"

    "turn the clay on the wheel"

64. 64verb

    to break and turn over earth especially with a plow

    "Farmer Jones plowed his east field last week"

    "turn the earth in the Spring"

    Synonyms

    ploughplow
65. 65verb

    change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

    "Turn towards me"

    "The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"

66. 66verb

    pass to the other side of

    "turn the corner"

    "move around the obstacle"

67. 67verb

    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"

68. 68verb

    to send or let go

    "They turned away the crowd at the gate of the governor's mansion"

69. 69verb

    cause to move around a center so as to show another side of

    "turn a page of a book"

70. 70verb

    cause to move around or rotate

    "turn a key"

    "turn your palm this way"

71. 71verb

    cause to move along an axis or into a new direction

    "turn your face to the wall"

    "turn the car around"

72. 72verb

    move around an axis or a center

    "The wheels are turning"

73. 73verb

    get by buying and selling

    "the company turned a good profit after a year"

74. 74verb

    accomplish by rotating

    "turn a somersault"

    "turn cartwheels"

75. 75verb

    undergo a change or development

    "The water turned into ice"

    "Her former friend became her worst enemy"

    Synonyms

    become
76. 76verb

    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"