Definition of: turn

(tûrn) v.t.
1. To give a rotary motion to; cause to rotate, as about an axis.
2. To change the position of, as by rotating: to turn a trunk on its side.
3. To move so that the upper side becomes the under: to turn a page.
4. To bring the subsoil of to the surface, as by plowing or spading.
5. To alter (a garment) by reversing the material: to turn a cuff.
6. To reverse the arrangement or order of; cause to be upside down.
7. To upset mentally; dement or distract; infatuate.
8. To revolve mentally; ponder: often with over.
9. To sprain or strain: to turn one's ankle in running.
10. To nauseate (the stomach).
11. To shape (an object revolving in a lathe, etc.) in rounded form by application of a cutting tool.
12. To give rounded or curved form to.
13. To give graceful or finished form to: to turn a phrase.
14. To perform by revolving: to turn cartwheels.
15. To bend, curve, fold, or twist.
16. To bend or blunt (the edge of a knife, etc.).
17. To change or transform; convert: to turn water into wine.
18. To translate: to turn French into English.
19. To exchange for an equivalent: to turn stocks into cash.
20. To adapt to some use or purpose; apply: to turn information to good account.
21. To cause to become as specified: The sight turned him sick.
22. To change the color of.
23. To make sour or rancid; ferment or curdle.
24. To change the direction of.
25. To direct or aim; point.
26. To change the direction or focus of (thought, attention, etc.).
27. To deflect or divert: to turn a blow.
28. To repel: to turn a charge.
29. To go around or to the other side of: to turn a corner.
30. To pass or go beyond: to turn twenty–one.
31. To cause or compel to go; send; drive: to turn a beggar from one's door.
32. To keep circulating in trade: to turn goods or money.
33. Obs. To pervert.
—v.i.
34. To move around an axis or center; rotate: revolve.
35. To move completely or partially on or as if on an axis: He turned and ran.
36. To change position; also, to roll from side to side, as in bed.
37. To take a new direction: We turned north.
38. To reverse position; become inverted.
39. To reverse direction or flow: The tide has turned.
40. To change the direction or focus of one's thought, attention, etc.: Let us turn to the next problem.
41. To depend; hinge: with on or upon.
42. To be affected with giddiness; whirl, as the head.
43. To become upset or nauseated, as the stomach.
44. To change attitude, sympathy, or allegiance: to turn on one's neighbors.
45. To rebel; act in retaliation: The worm turns; to turn on one's persecutors.
46. To become transformed; change: The water turned into ice.
47. To become as specified: His hair turned gray.
48. To change color: said especially of leaves.
49. To become sour, rancid, or fermented, as milk or wine.
50. Naut. To tack or put about.
51. Obs. To vacillate. See synonyms under BEND, CHANGE, REVOLVE.
—to turn against To become or cause to become opposed or hostile to.
—to turn an honest dollar (or penny) To earn money honestly.
—to turn down
1. To diminish the flow, volume, etc., of: Turn down the gas.
2. Colloq. a To reject or refuse, as a proposal, or request, b To refuse the request, proposal, etc., of.
—to turn in
1. To fold or double.
2. To bend or incline inward.
3. To deliver; hand over.
4. Colloq. To go to bed.
—to turn off
1. To stop the operation, flow. etc., of.
2. To leave the direct road; make a turn.
3. To deflect or divert.
4. Brit. To dismiss; discharge.
—to turn on
1. To set in operation, flow, etc.: to turn on an engine.
2. Slang To take or experience the mental and perceptual effects of taking a psychedelic drug, as marijuana, LSD, etc.
3. Slang To arrange for (someone) to take or be affected by such a drug.
4. Slang To evoke in (someone) a profound or rapt response, as though under the influence of a psychedelic drug: Baroque music really turned him on.
—to turn out
1. To turn inside out.
2. To eject or expel; put out.
3. To dismiss or discharge.
4. To turn off (def. 1).
5. To bend or incline outward.
6. To produce by work or toil; make.
7. To come or go out, as for duty or service.
8. To prove (to be); be found.
9. To become or result.
10. To equip or fit; dress.
11. Colloq. To get out of bed.
—to turn over
1. To change the position of; invert.
2. To upset; overturn.
3. To hand over; transfer or relinquish.
4. To do business to the amount of.
5. To invest and get back (capital).
6. To use in trade or exchange; buy and then sell: to turn over merchandise.
—to turn tail To run away; flee.
—to turn to
1. To set to work.
2. To seek aid from.
3. To refer or apply to.
—to turn up
1. To bring or fold the under side upward.
2. To bend or incline upward.
3. To bring or be brought to view by plowing, digging, etc.; find or be found.
4. To increase the flow, volume, etc., of.
5. To put in an appearance; arrive.
—noun
1. The act of turning, or the state of being turned.
2. A change to another direction, motion, or position: a turn of the tide.
3. A deflection or deviation from a course; a bend; a change in policy or trend: a turn of fortune.
4. The point at which a change takes place: a turn for the better in a crisis or an illness.
5. Motion about or as about a center; a rotation or revolution: the turn of a crank.
6. Favorable, fitting, or regular time or chance in some succession or rotation, or the work it offers; a job; also, a round; spell: one's turn to read, a turn of work.
7. Characteristic form or style; distinguishing shape; mold; cast: the turn of an ankle or sentence.
8. Disposition; tendency; manner: a humorous turn; a knack or special ability: a turn for study.
9. A deed performed, regarded as aiding or injuring another: an ill turn; also, an advantage proposed or gained: It served his turn.
10. A walk, drive, or trip to and fro; promenade: a turn in the park.
11. A trip back and forth in taking a load of anything: turns made to a mill; also, the load so taken.
12. A round in a skein or coil.
13. Music An instrumental or vocal embellishment formed by a group of four notes rapidly performed, the first a tone above and the third a tone below the principal tone, which occupies the second and fourth positions. In an inverted turn the tones are reversed in order.
14. Colloq. A spell of dizziness or faintness: a shock to the nerves, as from alarm: It gave her quite a turn.
15. A variation or difference in type or kind.
16. A short theatrical act of any description; also, in sport, a contest: a bout.
17. A twist, as of a rope, around a tree or post.
18. A transaction on the stock exchange, involving purchase and sale, or the reverse; also, any business transaction.
19. In infantry drill, a maneuver in which a line of troops changes the direction of its front, usually in preparation for marching.
—at every turn On every occasion; constantly.
—by turns
1. In alternation or sequence.
2. At intervals.
—in turn One after another; in proper order or sequence.
—out of turn Not in proper order or prescribed order or sequence.
—to a turn Just right; perfectly or exactly: said especially of cooked food, in allusion to the turning of the spit in roasting.
—to take turns To act, play, etc. in proper order. ♦ Homophones: tern, terne. [Fusion of OE tyrnan and turnian and OF turner, all <L tornare turn in a lathe <turnus a lathe <Gk. tornos]