turn

the Earth turns;  turn on the spot

"A fine man, that Dunwody, yonder," commented the young captain, as they parted, and as he turned to his prisoner. "We'll see him on in Washington some day. He is strengthening his forces now against Mr. Benton out there.[…]."

1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

We didn't start the fire / It was always burning / Since the world's been turning

1989 September 18, Billy Joel, “We Didn't Start the Fire”, in Storm Front:

(intransitive, of a body, person, etc) To move about an axis through itself.

To make a non-linear physical movement.
To move about an axis through itself.

Turn the knob clockwise.

It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], “The First Gun”, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 9–10:

Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin turbo, meaning vortex, and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas turns the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work.

2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:

(transitive) To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.

To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.

She turned right at the corner.

I had occasion […] to make a somewhat long business trip to Chicago, and on my return […] I found Farrar awaiting me in the railroad station. He smiled his wonted fraction by way of greeting, […], and finally leading me to his buggy, turned and drove out of town.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter II, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 12:

I stumbled along through the young pines and huckleberry bushes. Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path that, I cal'lated, might lead to the road I was hunting for. It twisted and turned, and, the first thing I knew, made a sudden bend around a bunch of bayberry scrub and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

(intransitive) To change one's direction of travel.

To make a non-linear physical movement.
To change one's direction of travel.

She turned the table legs with care and precision.

(transitive) To shape (something) symmetrically by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool, as on a lathe.

[…]the Poets pen turnes them to ſhapes,[…]

c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 159, column 1:

[…]he was perfectly well turned for the occupations of trade and commerce.

1711 July 15 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “WEDNESDAY, July 4, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 108; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 85:

His limbs how turn’d! how broad his ſhoulders ſpread!

1725, Homer, “Book VIII”, in [William Broome], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume II, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC, page 145, line 148:

(by extension) To give form to; to shape or mould; to adapt.

To give form to; to shape or mould; to adapt.

turn the bed covers;  turn the pages

(transitive) To position (something) by folding it, or using its folds.

To position (something) by folding it, or using its folds.

turn to page twenty;  turn through the book

(transitive, figuratively) To navigate through a book or other printed material.

To navigate through a book or other printed material.

I fell off my bike and turned my ankle severely.

To make a non-linear physical movement.
(transitive) To twist or sprain.

To make a non-linear physical movement.
To twist or sprain.

(transitive, cricket) Of a bowler, to make (the ball) move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.

Of a bowler, to make (the ball) move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.

(intransitive, cricket) Of a ball, to move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.

Of a ball, to move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.

The leaves turn brown in autumn. When I asked him for the money, he turned nasty.

Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd.

1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, page 39:

The former-slaves-turned-abolitionists Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano were the chief organizers of the Sons of Africa.

2007, Junius P. Rodriguez, Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World:

The midfielder turned provider moments later, his exquisite reverse pass perfectly weighted for Cisse to race on to and slide past Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic.

2012 April 21, Jonathan Jurejko, “Newcastle 3-0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport:

(intransitive or transitive) To change condition or attitude.

To change condition or attitude.
To become (begin to be).

The hillside behind our house isn't generally much to look at, but once all the trees turn it's gorgeous.

(intransitive) To change the color of the leaves in the autumn.

To change the color of the leaves in the autumn.

This milk has turned; it smells awful.

To change fundamentally; to metamorphose.

(intransitive) To sour or spoil; to go bad.

To change fundamentally; to metamorphose.

to turn cider or wine

(transitive) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle.

To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle.

How long ago was he turned?

His companions had turned him on purpose. Annie, bless her heart, was immune.

2017, Michael J. Totten, Into the Wasteland: A Zombie Novel:

(transitive, fantasy) To change (a person) into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.

To change (a person) into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.

Bruce Banner turns when he is angry: he becomes the Hulk, an incredibly powerful green monster.

(intransitive, fantasy) To transform into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.

To transform into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.

We may not be made gay or lesbian in the sense of being “turned” by some error in parenting or child rearing, but we are certainly biologically made and raised (most of us) by straights.

2009 September 10, W. C. Harris, Queer Externalities: Hazardous Encounters in American Culture, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 154:

An old homophobic fantasy has it that a gay man or lesbian can be “turned” by a fulfilling sexual encounter with someone of the opposite sex

2023 May 15, Eliot Borenstein, Marvel Comics in the 1970s: The World Inside Your Head, Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 244:

(transitive, slang, sometimes offensive) To change the sexual orientation or gender of another person, or otherwise awaken a sexual preference.

Midas made everything turn to gold.  He turned into a monster every full moon.

At her invitation he outlined for her the succeeding chapters with terse military accuracy; and what she liked best and best understood was avoidance of that false modesty which condescends, turning technicality into pabulum.

1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Silverside”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 300:

Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.

2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:

Charlie turns six on September 29.

To change condition or attitude.
To reach a certain age.

The decision turns on a single fact.

[…] Conditions of Peace certainly do turn upon Events of War.

1711 December 8 (Gregorian calendar), [Jonathan Swift], “The Eighth Article of the Grand Alliance”, in The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War, 4th edition, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1711, →OCLC, page 72:

To change condition or attitude.
To hinge; to depend.

The prisoners turned on the warden.

‘You little Fool!’ returned her sister, shaking her with the sharp pull she gave her arm. ‘Have you no spirit at all? But that’s just the way! You have no self-respect, you have no becoming pride, just as you allow yourself to be followed about by a contemptible little Chivery of a thing,’ with the scornfullest emphasis, ‘you would let your family be trodden on, and never turn.’

1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC:

To rebel; to go against something formerly tolerated.

To rebel; to go against something formerly tolerated.

(professional wrestling) To change personalities, such as from being a face (good guy) to heel (bad guy) or vice versa.

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

Ile looke no more, / Leaſt my braine turne,[…]

c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], page 302, column 2:

To become giddy; said of the head or brain.

To become giddy; said of the head or brain.

The sight turned my stomach.

To change condition or attitude.
To change personal condition.
To sicken; to nauseate.

To change condition or attitude.
To change personal condition.
To be nauseated; said of the stomach.

And they made a calfe in thoſe dayes / and offered ſacrifice vnto the ymage / and reioyſed in the workes of theyr awne hondes. / Then God turned hym ſilfe / and gave them vp /[…]

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts vij:[41–42], folio clxiij, verso:

Turne from thy fierce wrath,[…]

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus 32:12, columns 1–2:

The Mind receiving the Ideas, mentioned in the foregoing Chapter, from without, when it turns its view inward upon its ſelf,[…]

1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], “Of Simple Ideas of Reflection”, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC, book II, § 1, page 51:

Little disappointed, then, she turned attention to "Chat of the Social World," gossip which exercised potent fascination upon the girl's intelligence.

1914 November, Louis Joseph Vance, “An Outsider […]”, in Munsey’s Magazine, volume LIII, number II, New York, N.Y.: The Frank A[ndrew] Munsey Company, […], published 1915, →OCLC, chapter I (Anarchy), page 373, column 2:

(reflexive) To change one's course of action; to take a new approach.

To change one's course of action; to take a new approach.

They say they can turn the parts in two days.

(transitive, usually with over) To complete.

We turned a pretty penny with that little scheme.

(transitive) To make (money); turn a profit.

Liverpool introduced Carroll for Spearing and were rewarded after 64 minutes when he put them back in contention. Stewart Downing blocked Jose Bosingwa's attempted clearance, which fell into the path of Carroll. He turned John Terry superbly before firing high past Cech.

2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

(transitive, soccer) Of a player, to go past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.

Of a player, to go past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.

Ivory turns well.

To undergo the process of turning on a lathe.

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

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

to turn the Iliad

who turns a Persian tale for half a crown

1735, Alexander Pope, The Prologue to the Satires:

(transitive, roleplaying games) To magically or divinely repel undead.

en-verb

turn (third-person singular simple present turns, present participle turning, simple past and past participle turned or (obsolete) turnt)

turns (present singular third-person)
turning (participle present)
turned (participle past)
turned (past)
turnt (obsolete participle past)
turnt (obsolete past)
turn (infinitive)

շրջել

change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation

قَلَبَ

position something by folding it back on itself, or using its folds

kääntää

navigate through a book or other printed material

lyödä kierre

in cricket, make the ball move sideways when it bounces

kiertää

of a cricket ball, move sideways when it bounces

-ul

e.g. “turn yellow”: sárga → sárgul, “turn brown”: barna → barnul

прокисвам

make acid or sour; ferment; curdle — see also ferment, curdle

muuttaa

change one's course of action; take a new approach

peipata

soccer: go past an opposition player with the ball in one's control

sorvautua

undergo the process of turning on a lathe

kääntää

obstetrics: bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in order to facilitate delivery

muuttua

printing: invert a type of the same thickness

From Middle English turnen, from Old English turnian, tyrnan (“to turn, rotate, revolve”) and Old French torner (“to turn”), both from Latin tornāre (“to round off, turn in a lathe”), from tornus (“lathe”), from Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos, “turning-lathe: a tool used for making circles”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist, bore”). Cognate with Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist, wind”), whence English throw. Displaced native Middle English wenden from Old English wendan (see wend), and Middle English trenden from Old English trendan (see trend), among several other terms.

der

Latin tornāre (“to round off, turn in a lathe”)

turning-lathe: a tool used for making circles

Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos, “turning-lathe: a tool used for making circles”)

to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist, bore

Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist, bore”)

cog

Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist, wind”)


turn

Give the handle a turn, then pull it.

With just the turn of a shoulder she indicated the water front, where[…]lay the good ship, Mount Vernon, river packet, the black smoke already pouring from her stacks. In turn he smiled and also shrugged a shoulder.

1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

A movement of an object about its own axis in one direction that continues until the object returns to its initial orientation.

(geometry) A unit of plane angle measurement based on this movement.

Let's take a turn in the garden.

They took turns playing with the new toy.

A chance to use (something) shared in sequence with others.

I cooked tonight, so it's your turn to do the dishes.

A spell of work, especially the time allotted to a person in a rota or schedule.

One's chance to make a move in a game having two or more players.

A figure in music, often denoted ~, consisting of the note above the one indicated, the note itself, the note below the one indicated, and the note itself again.

They quote a three-day turn on parts like those.

The time required to complete a project.

I've had a funny turn.

I'm sure I never shall forget the turn young Simmons gave me when he came in with that paper as he'd been and copied out of a winder thro' being in a west-end house, […]

1865 September 23, “Mrs. Brown and the Emperor of the French”, in Fun, London: Published (for the proprietors) by Thomas Baker, →OCLC, page 17:

'Then you must know as well as the rest of us that there was something queer about that gentleman—something that gave a man a turn—I don't know rightly how to say it, sir, beyond this: that you felt it in your marrow kind of cold and thin.'

1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Last Night”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, pages 78–79:

She took a turn for the worse.

A change in temperament or circumstance.

(cricket) A sideways movement of the ball when it bounces (caused by rotation in flight).

(poker) The fourth communal card in Texas hold 'em.

(poker, obsolete) The flop (the first three community cards) in Texas hold 'em.

One good turn deserves another.

I felt that the man was of a vindictive nature, and would do me an evil turn if he found the opportunity[…].

A deed done to another; an act of kindness or malice.

(rope) A pass behind or through an object.

It was fortunate for his comfort, perhaps, that the man who had been chosen to accompany him was of a talkative turn, for the prisoners insisted upon hearing the story of the explosion a dozen times over, and Rufus Dawes himself had been roused to give the name of the vessel with his own lips.

1875, Marcus Clarke, “Typhus Fever”, in His Natural Life [For the Term of His Natural Life], volume I, London: Richard Bentley and Son, →OCLC, page 100:

(soccer) An instance of going past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.

Between the pieces were individual turns, comic songs and dances.

1960, Theatre Notebook, volumes 14-16, page 122:

(circus, theater, especially physical comedy) A short skit, act, or routine.

(printing, dated) A type turned upside down to serve for another character that is not available.

There are usually at least two jobbers who specialise in the leading stocks, and this acts to keep the jobber's turn to a reasonable amount […]

1977, Michael Arthur Firth, Valuation of Shares and the Efficient-markets Theory, page 11:

(UK, finance, historical) The profit made by a stockjobber, being the difference between the buying and selling prices.

360° turn

movement about an axis returning to the original orientation

go

the first turn of the screw pays all debts

→ Japanese: ターン (tān)

պտույտ

movement about an axis ending up with the same orientation

kierros

geometry: unit of plane angle measurement based on this movement

sor

in phrases, see the entry, e.g. rajta [van] a sor, rákerül a sor, ő van soron, soron következik

kör

when referring to one player's turn; otherwise meaning "round"

turn

poker: fourth communal card in Texas hold 'em

peippaus

soccer: instance of going past an opposition player with the ball in one's control

numero

circus, theatre: short skit, act, or routine

siivu

finance: profit made by a stockjobber, difference between the buying and selling prices

Partly from Anglo-Norman *torn, from Latin turnus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos), and partly an action noun from the verb turn.