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- Dictionaryturn/təːn/
verb
- 1. move in a circular direction wholly or partly round an axis or point: "the big wheel was turning" Similar go roundrevolverotatespingo round and roundgo round in circlesrollcirclewheelwhirltwirlgyrateswivelspiralpivotgo roundpass roundsweep roundroundnegotiatetake
- ▪ perform (a somersault or cartwheel): "the boy shot up off the ground and turned a somersault in the air" Similar performexecutedocarry out
- ▪ twist or sprain (an ankle): "Wright turned his ankle in the first minute of the game" Similar spraintwistrickwrenchhurtinjure
- 2. move (something) so that it is in a different position in relation to its surroundings or its previous position: "turn the mould upside down"
- ▪ change the position of one's body so that one is facing in a different direction: "Charlie turned and looked at his friend" Similar change directionturn roundchange coursemake a U-turnreverse directionswing roundwheel roundturn about
- ▪ move (something) so as to be aimed or pointed in a particular direction: "she turned her head towards me" Similar aim atpoint atlevel atdirect attrain atfocus on
- ▪ change or cause to change direction: "we turned round and headed back to the house" Similar change directionturn roundchange coursemake a U-turnreverse directionswing roundwheel roundturn aboutbendcurvewindtwistloopmeandersnakezigzag
- ▪ (of the tide) change from flood to ebb or vice versa: "as the tide turned he finally managed to bring the barge into its berth"
- ▪ move (a page) over so that it is flat against the previous or next page: "she turned a page noisily"
- ▪ fold or unfold (fabric or a piece of a garment) in the specified way: "he turned up the collar of his coat"
- ▪ pass round (the flank or defensive lines of an army) so as to attack it from the side or rear: "there was still the sea, by way of which the Persians hoped to turn all mountain or isthmus defence lines"
- ▪ bend back (the edge of a blade) so as to make it blunt: archaic "thou hast also turned the edge of his sword"
- ▪ remake (a garment or a sheet), putting the worn outer side on the inside: "a sheet that Mrs Dibb wanted turned sides to middle"
- 3. change or cause to change in nature, state, form, or colour; become or make: "she turned pale" Similar becomedevelop intoprove to beturn out to bechange intobe transformed intometamorphose intobecomegogrowgetcome to beconvertchangetransformmakeadaptmodifyrebuildreconstructrefashionremakemake overrestyle
- ▪ send or put into a specified place or condition: "the dogs were turned loose on the crowd"
- ▪ pass the age or time of: "I've just turned forty" Similar reach (the age of)get to (the age of)becomepassinformal:hit
- ▪ (of leaves) change colour in the autumn: "the chestnut leaves were turning"
- ▪ (with reference to the stomach) make or become nauseated: "the smell was bad enough to turn the strongest stomach"
- ▪ (with reference to milk) make or become sour. Similar go/become sourgo offsourcurdlebecome rancidgo badspoiltaint
- 4. shape (something) on a lathe: "the faceplate is turned rather than cast" Similar fashionmakeshapemouldcastform
- ▪ give a graceful or elegant form to: "if I could turn a tune, I even think I should sing"
- 5. make (a profit).
noun
- 1. an act of moving something in a circular direction round an axis or point: "a safety lock requiring four turns of the key" Similar rotationrevolutionspincirclewhirltwirlgyrationswivel
- ▪ a bend or curve in a road, path, river, etc.: "the twists and turns in the passageways" Similar bendcornerdog-legtwistzigzaghairpin bend
- ▪ deviation in the direction of the ball when bouncing off the pitch: "the spinners have already begun to extract a lot of turn"
- ▪ one round in a coil of rope or other material.
- 2. a change of direction when moving: "they made a left turn and picked up speed" Similar change of directionchange of courseturningveerdivergence
- ▪ a development or change in a situation: "the latest turn of events"
- ▪ a time when one period of time ends and another begins: "the turn of the century"
- ▪ a place where a road meets or branches off another; a turning: "they were approaching the turn" Similar turningjunctioncrossroadsturnout
- ▪ a change of the tide from ebb to flow or vice versa: "the turn of the tide"
- ▪ the beginning of the second nine holes of a round of golf: "he made the turn in one under par"
- 3. an opportunity or obligation to do something that comes successively to each of a number of people: "it was his turn to speak" Similar opportunitychancesaystintspelltimetryattemptinformal:goshotstabcrack
- ▪ a short performance, especially one of a number given by different performers in succession: "Lewis gave her best ever comic turn" Similar actroutineperformancenumberpieceshow
- ▪ a performer giving a short performance: "Malton's comedy turn, Mark Poole, takes to the stage tonight in Cinderella"
- 4. a short walk or ride: "why don't you take a turn around the garden?" Similar strollwalksaunteramblewanderairingpromenadedriverideoutingexcursionjauntinformal:moseytootlespinpootledated:constitutionalrare:perambulation
- 5. a shock: informal "you gave us quite a turn!" Similar shockstartsurprisejoltfrightscare
- ▪ a brief feeling or experience of illness: "he has these funny turns"
- 6. the difference between the buying and selling price of stocks or other financial products.
- ▪ a profit made from the difference between the buying and selling price of stocks or other financial products.
- 7. a melodic ornament consisting of the principal note with those above and below it.
Word Origin Old Englishtyrnan, turnian (verb), from Latin tornare, from tornus ‘lathe’, from Greek tornos ‘lathe, circular movement’; probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French turner. The noun (Middle English) is partly from Anglo-Norman French tourn, partly from the verb.
Scrabble Points: 4
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