"turn of phrase" meaning in English

See turn of phrase in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-turn of phrase.ogg Forms: turns of phrase [plural]
Etymology: Compare trope, with same sense of “turn” to mean indirect language. Head templates: {{en-noun|~|turns of phrase}} turn of phrase (countable and uncountable, plural turns of phrase)
  1. (countable) An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful. Tags: countable Categories (topical): Figures of speech Related terms: turn a phrase, figure of speech Translations (expression which is worded in a distinctive way): gir [masculine] (Catalan), esprimo (Esperanto), sanakäänne (Finnish), lausekäänne (Finnish), lauseparsi (Finnish), tournure de phrase [feminine] (French), tour de phrase [masculine] (French), Redewendung [feminine] (German), szófordulat (Hungarian), fordulat (Hungarian), szóhasználat (Hungarian), beszédfordulat (Hungarian), kifejezésmód (Hungarian), kifejezés (Hungarian), szólásmód (Hungarian), szólás (Hungarian), giro di parole [masculine] (Italian), modo di dire [masculine] (Italian), proprietà di linguaggio [feminine] (Italian), modo di esprimersi [masculine] (Italian), zwrot [masculine] (Polish), оборо́т ре́чи (oborót réči) (Russian), expresión [feminine] (Spanish), giro de frase [masculine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-turn_of_phrase-en-noun-gftFtC6d Disambiguation of Figures of speech: 77 23 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 62 38 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 73 27 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 80 20 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 85 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 68 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 73 27 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 68 32 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 75 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 68 32 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 78 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 57 43 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 78 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 82 18 Disambiguation of 'expression which is worded in a distinctive way': 79 21
  2. (uncountable) A distinctive way of wording things, a distinctive way of writing or speaking. Tags: uncountable Synonyms: style, prose
    Sense id: en-turn_of_phrase-en-noun-Pz3x6LVO Categories (other): English terms with collocations

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "Compare trope, with same sense of “turn” to mean indirect language.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "turns of phrase",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "turns of phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "turn of phrase (countable and uncountable, plural turns of phrase)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "80 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "85 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "73 27",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Esperanto translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "75 25",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "68 32",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "57 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "82 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Figures of speech",
          "orig": "en:Figures of speech",
          "parents": [
            "Rhetoric",
            "Language",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1922, Dorothy Canfield, “Chapter 43”, in Rough-Hewn:",
          "text": "\"I should call it a most nice sort of surprise,\" remarked the girl with a quaintly un-English turn of phrase which he had already noticed and thought the most delightful thing in the world.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful."
      ],
      "id": "en-turn_of_phrase-en-noun-gftFtC6d",
      "links": [
        [
          "expression",
          "expression"
        ],
        [
          "distinctive",
          "distinctive"
        ],
        [
          "memorable",
          "memorable"
        ],
        [
          "artful",
          "artful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable) An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "68 32",
          "word": "turn a phrase"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "68 32",
          "word": "figure of speech"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "gir"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "esprimo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "sanakäänne"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "lausekäänne"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "lauseparsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "tournure de phrase"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tour de phrase"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Redewendung"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "szófordulat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "fordulat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "szóhasználat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "beszédfordulat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "kifejezésmód"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "kifejezés"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "szólásmód"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "szólás"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "giro di parole"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "modo di dire"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "proprietà di linguaggio"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "modo di esprimersi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "zwrot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "oborót réči",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "word": "оборо́т ре́чи"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "expresión"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "79 21",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "giro de frase"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with collocations",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with collocations",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "This author has a beautiful turn of phrase.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A distinctive way of wording things, a distinctive way of writing or speaking."
      ],
      "id": "en-turn_of_phrase-en-noun-Pz3x6LVO",
      "links": [
        [
          "wording",
          "wording"
        ],
        [
          "writing",
          "writing"
        ],
        [
          "speaking",
          "speaking"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable) A distinctive way of wording things, a distinctive way of writing or speaking."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "style"
        },
        {
          "word": "prose"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-turn of phrase.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "turn of phrase"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "en:Figures of speech"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Compare trope, with same sense of “turn” to mean indirect language.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "turns of phrase",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~",
        "2": "turns of phrase"
      },
      "expansion": "turn of phrase (countable and uncountable, plural turns of phrase)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "turn a phrase"
    },
    {
      "word": "figure of speech"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1922, Dorothy Canfield, “Chapter 43”, in Rough-Hewn:",
          "text": "\"I should call it a most nice sort of surprise,\" remarked the girl with a quaintly un-English turn of phrase which he had already noticed and thought the most delightful thing in the world.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "expression",
          "expression"
        ],
        [
          "distinctive",
          "distinctive"
        ],
        [
          "memorable",
          "memorable"
        ],
        [
          "artful",
          "artful"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable) An expression which is worded in a distinctive way, especially one which is particularly memorable or artful."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with collocations",
        "English uncountable nouns"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "This author has a beautiful turn of phrase.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A distinctive way of wording things, a distinctive way of writing or speaking."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wording",
          "wording"
        ],
        [
          "writing",
          "writing"
        ],
        [
          "speaking",
          "speaking"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(uncountable) A distinctive way of wording things, a distinctive way of writing or speaking."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "style"
        },
        {
          "word": "prose"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-turn of phrase.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/7/71/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/En-au-turn_of_phrase.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "gir"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "esprimo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "sanakäänne"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "lausekäänne"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "lauseparsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "tournure de phrase"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tour de phrase"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Redewendung"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "szófordulat"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "fordulat"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "szóhasználat"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "beszédfordulat"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "kifejezésmód"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "kifejezés"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "szólásmód"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "szólás"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "giro di parole"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "modo di dire"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "proprietà di linguaggio"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "modo di esprimersi"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "zwrot"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "oborót réči",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "word": "оборо́т ре́чи"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "expresión"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expression which is worded in a distinctive way",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "giro de frase"
    }
  ],
  "word": "turn of phrase"
}

Download raw JSONL data for turn of phrase meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-03-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-03-02 using wiktextract (b81b832 and 633533e). 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.