See about-face on Wiktionary
Download JSON data for about-face meaning in All languages combined (12.6kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "about",
"3": "face"
},
"expansion": "about + face",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "about + face, first attested in 1861, used in the imperative in the military.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "about-faces",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "about-face (plural about-faces)",
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"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
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"name": "Military",
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"parents": [
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{
"text": "The soldier did an about-face and marched off.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2019 February 27, Drachinifel, 22:11 from the start, in The Battle of Samar - Odds? What are those?, archived from the original on 2022-11-03",
"text": "Deciding that he hasn't had enough action for one day, Captain Evans of the Johnston orders another 180-degree about-face to give gunfire support to the new arrivals, this time picking on the heavy cruiser Tone.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"An abrupt turn to face the opposite direction."
],
"id": "en-about-face-en-noun-ju-8wcVr",
"links": [
[
"military",
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[
"abrupt",
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"turn",
"turn"
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"opposite"
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[
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],
"raw_glosses": [
"(military) An abrupt turn to face the opposite direction."
],
"topics": [
"government",
"military",
"politics",
"war"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "rechtsomkeert"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "täyskäännös"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "fr",
"english": "literal",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
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"word": "demi-tour"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "volte-face"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "revirement"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "hátra arc"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "dietro front"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "dietrofront"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "o 180 stopni"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "w tył zwrot"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "meia-volta"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "krugóm",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "круго́м"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "media vuelta"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "cambio de rumbo"
},
{
"_dis1": "87 13",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "glàp-lǎng-hǎn",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "กลับหลังหัน"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
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{
"text": "When Luke heard the news, he did an abrupt about-face on the policy.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2021 March 23, David Von Drehle, “Sidney Powell does an about-face on her Stop the Steal claims”, in Washington Post, →ISSN",
"text": "Sidney Powell does an about-face on her Stop the Steal claims [title]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 July 8, Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang, quoting Mark Zuckerberg, “Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg’s Partnership Did Not Survive Trump”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
"text": "In yet another about-face decision on speech, Mr. Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was planning to de-emphasize political content in the News Feed because, he said, “people don’t want politics and fighting to take over their experience on our service.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2023 July 15, “The ‘QAnon Shaman’ and other Capitol rioters who regret pleading guilty”, in BBC News",
"text": "His about-face is such that he is even taking his case back to court to ask his guilty plea to be reversed. And he is far from the alone in changing his mind about the events at the Capitol.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A reversal in direction; a reversal of attitude or opinion."
],
"id": "en-about-face-en-noun-bCoGA76K",
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[
"direction",
"direction"
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"attitude"
],
[
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"opinion"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(figurative) A reversal in direction; a reversal of attitude or opinion."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "koerswijziging"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "ommezwaai"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "täyskäännös"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Kehrtwende"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "hátraarc"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "pálfordulás"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "pálfordulat"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "száznyolcvan fokos fordulat"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "voltafaccia"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "voltagabbana"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "banderuola"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "media vuelta"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "virazón"
},
{
"_dis1": "29 71",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
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}
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"_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
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"tags": [
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{
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{
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"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"tags": [
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],
"word": "about turn"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "arse about face"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "backpedal"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "heel/face turn"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
"word": "turnabout"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0",
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{
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{
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"_dis": "14 15 52 19",
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"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
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],
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{
"text": "The soldiers would about-face immediately after the order was given.",
"type": "example"
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],
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"To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction."
],
"id": "en-about-face-en-verb-lPrBQbnF",
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],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction."
],
"tags": [
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"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "rechtsomkeert maken"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "tehdä täyskäännös"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "faire demi-tour"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "Kehrtwende machen"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "fare dietrofront"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "dar la media vuelta"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "darse media vuelta"
},
{
"_dis1": "99 1",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "glàp-lǎng-hǎn",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "กลับหลังหัน"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "A politician will about-face at the drop of a hat if he thinks there are votes in it.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To change opinion or attitude drastically."
],
"id": "en-about-face-en-verb-DhfV4guf",
"links": [
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[
"opinion",
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"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "een totale ommekeer uitvoeren"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "het roer omgooien"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "zijn standpunt totaal wijzigen"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "tehdä täyskäännös"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "faire volte-face"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "fare il voltafaccia"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "fare il voltagabbana"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "cambiare casacca"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "cambiar de rumbo"
}
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],
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"ref": "2021 March 23, David Von Drehle, “Sidney Powell does an about-face on her Stop the Steal claims”, in Washington Post, →ISSN",
"text": "Sidney Powell does an about-face on her Stop the Steal claims [title]",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2021 July 8, Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang, quoting Mark Zuckerberg, “Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg’s Partnership Did Not Survive Trump”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
"text": "In yet another about-face decision on speech, Mr. Zuckerberg announced that Facebook was planning to de-emphasize political content in the News Feed because, he said, “people don’t want politics and fighting to take over their experience on our service.”",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2023 July 15, “The ‘QAnon Shaman’ and other Capitol rioters who regret pleading guilty”, in BBC News",
"text": "His about-face is such that he is even taking his case back to court to ask his guilty plea to be reversed. And he is far from the alone in changing his mind about the events at the Capitol.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
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"(figurative) A reversal in direction; a reversal of attitude or opinion."
],
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{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "rechtsomkeert"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "täyskäännös"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"english": "literal",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "demi-tour"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine",
"figuratively"
],
"word": "volte-face"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "revirement"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "hátra arc"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "dietro front"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "dietrofront"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "o 180 stopni"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "w tył zwrot"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "meia-volta"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "krugóm",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "круго́м"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "media vuelta"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "cambio de rumbo"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "glàp-lǎng-hǎn",
"sense": "military: abrupt turn to face the opposite direction",
"word": "กลับหลังหัน"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "koerswijziging"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "ommezwaai"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "täyskäännös"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "Kehrtwende"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "hátraarc"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "pálfordulás"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "pálfordulat"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "száznyolcvan fokos fordulat"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "voltafaccia"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "voltagabbana"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "banderuola"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "media vuelta"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"word": "virazón"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "reversal of direction or attitude",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "cambio de rumbo"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"about-face"
],
"word": "about-face"
}
{
"categories": [
"English 3-syllable words",
"English compound terms",
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "about",
"3": "face"
},
"expansion": "about + face",
"name": "compound"
}
],
"etymology_text": "about + face, first attested in 1861, used in the imperative in the military.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "about-faces",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "about-facing",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "about-faced",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "about-faced",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "about-face (third-person singular simple present about-faces, present participle about-facing, simple past and past participle about-faced)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"tags": [
"UK"
],
"word": "about turn"
},
{
"word": "arse about face"
},
{
"word": "backpedal"
},
{
"word": "heel/face turn"
},
{
"word": "turnabout"
},
{
"word": "turn around"
},
{
"word": "volte-face"
},
{
"word": "180"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The soldiers would about-face immediately after the order was given.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction."
],
"links": [
[
"turn",
"turn"
],
[
"degrees",
"degrees"
],
[
"face",
"face"
],
[
"opposite",
"opposite"
],
[
"direction",
"direction"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To turn 180 degrees to face the opposite direction."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "A politician will about-face at the drop of a hat if he thinks there are votes in it.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To change opinion or attitude drastically."
],
"links": [
[
"change",
"change"
],
[
"opinion",
"opinion"
],
[
"attitude",
"attitude"
],
[
"drastically",
"drastically"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/əˈbaʊtˌfeɪs/",
"tags": [
"US"
]
},
{
"audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-about-face.wav",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/86/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-about-face.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-about-face.wav.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/86/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-about-face.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Persent101-about-face.wav.ogg",
"tags": [
"US"
],
"text": "Audio (US)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "about face"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "rechtsomkeert maken"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "tehdä täyskäännös"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "faire demi-tour"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "Kehrtwende machen"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "fare dietrofront"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "dar la media vuelta"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "darse media vuelta"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "glàp-lǎng-hǎn",
"sense": "to turn 180 degrees",
"word": "กลับหลังหัน"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "een totale ommekeer uitvoeren"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "het roer omgooien"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "zijn standpunt totaal wijzigen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "tehdä täyskäännös"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "faire volte-face"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "fare il voltafaccia"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "fare il voltagabbana"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "cambiare casacca"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to change opinion or attitude",
"word": "cambiar de rumbo"
}
],
"wikipedia": [
"about-face"
],
"word": "about-face"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.