turn
turn
(tɜːʳn )Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense turns , present participle turning , past tense, past participle turned Turn is used in a large number of other expressions which are explained under other words in the dictionary. For example, the expression 'turn over a new leaf' is explained at leaf.
1. verb
When you turn or when you turn part of your body, you move your body or part of your body so that it is facing in a different or opposite direction.
He turned abruptly and walked away. [VERB]
He turned to his publicist and jokingly asked, 'What's next?'. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He sighed, turning away and surveying the sea. [VERB preposition/adverb]
He turned his head left and right. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
He waited for the woman to turn her face back to the road. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
[Also VERB noun]change course, swing round, wheel round, veer, move, return, go back, switch, shift, reverse, swerve, change positionI felt a tapping on my shoulder and I turned around. [VERB PARTICLE]
Turn your upper body round so that your shoulders are facing to the side. [VERB noun PARTICLE]
2. verb
When you turn something, you move it so that it is facing in a different or opposite direction, or is in a very different position.
They turned their telescopes towards other nearby galaxies. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Turn the cake the right way up on to a wire rack. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
I turned my jacket inside out. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
She had turned the bedside chair to face the door. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
The lid, turned upside down, served as a coffee table. [VERB-ed]
3. verb
When something such as a wheel turns, or when you turn it, it continually moves around in a particular direction.
As the wheel turned, the potter shaped the clay. [VERB]
The engine turned a propeller. [VERB noun]
rotate, spin, go round (and round), revolve, roll, circle, wheel, twist, spiral, whirl, swivel, pivot, twirl, gyrate, go round in circles, move in a circle4. verb
When you turn something such as a key, knob, or switch, or when it turns, you hold it and twist your hand, in order to open something or make it start working.
Turn a special key, press the brake pedal, and your car's brakes lock. [VERB noun]
Turn the heat to very low and cook for 20 minutes. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
I tried the doorknob and it turned. [VERB]
5. verb
When you turn in a particular direction or turn a corner, you change the direction in which you are moving or travelling.
He turned into the narrow terraced street where he lived. [VERB preposition/adverb]
Now turn right to follow West Ferry Road. [VERB preposition/adverb]
The man with the umbrella turned the corner again. [VERB noun]
Turn is also a noun.
You can't do a right-hand turn here.
6. verb
The point where a road, path, or river turns, is the point where it has a bend or curve in it.
...the corner where Tenterfield Road turned into the main road. [VERB preposition/adverb]
[Also VERB]bend, curve, meander, wind, twist, snake, loop, zigzagTurn is also a noun.
...a sharp turn in the road. [+ in]
7. verb
When the tide turns, it starts coming in or going out.
There was not much time before the tide turned. [VERB]
8. verb
9. verb
When you turn a page of a book or magazine, you move it so that is flat against the previous page, and you can read the next page.
He turned the pages of a file in front of him. [VERB noun]
flick through, thumb, skim, browse, flip through10. verb
If you turn a weapon or an aggressive feeling on someone, you point it at them or direct it at them.
He tried to turn the gun on me. [VERB noun + on]
The crowd than turned their anger on Prime Minister James Mitchell. [VERB noun + on]
11. verb
If you turn to a particular page in a book or magazine, you open it at that page.
To order, turn to page 236. [VERB + to]
12. verb
If you turn your attention or thoughts to a particular subject or if you turn to it, you start thinking about it or discussing it.
We turned our attention to the practical matters relating to forming a company. [VERB noun + to]
We turn now to the British news. [VERB + to]
13. verb
If you turn to someone, you ask for their help or advice.
For assistance, they turned to one of the city's most innovative museums. [VERB + to]
There was no one to turn to, no one to tell. [VERB to noun]
14. verb
If you turn to a particular activity, job, or way of doing something, you start doing or using it.
These communities are now turning to recycling in large numbers. [V + to/from]
The Superpowers turned to the harder task of cutting their nuclear arsenals. [V to/from n/-ing]
Universities are turning from academic to commercial sponsorship. [V to/from n/-ing]
15. verb
To turn or be turned into something means to become that thing.
A prince turns into a frog in this cartoon fairytale. [V + into/to]
Their grief turned to hysteria when the funeral procession arrived at the cemetery. [V into/to n]
The hated dictator had turned his country into one of the poorest police states in Europe. [VERB noun + into]
He soon turned his dreams to reality. [V n into/to n]
...an MP turned diplomat. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun + to]16. link verb
You can use turn before an adjective to indicate that something or someone changes by acquiring the quality described by the adjective.
If the bailiff thinks that things could turn nasty, he will enlist the help of the police. [VERB adjective]
She announced that she was going to turn professional. [VERB adjective]
become, get, grow, come to be, go17. link verb
If something turns a particular colour or if something turns it a particular colour, it becomes that colour.
The sea would turn pale pink and the sky blood red. [V colour]
Her contact lenses turned her eyes green. [V n colour]
18. link verb
You can use turn to indicate that there is a change to a particular kind of weather. For example, if it turns cold, the weather starts being cold.
If it turns cold, cover plants. [VERB adjective]
The weather had turned warm and thundery overnight. [VERB adjective]
19. countable noun
If a situation or trend takes a particular kind of turn, it changes so that it starts developing in a different or opposite way.
The scandal took a new turn over the weekend.
...the latest turn in the fighting.
Retailers have given up waiting for a turn in the housing market.
[Also + in]direction, course, tack, swing, tendency, drift, bias20. ergative verb
In sports, if a game turns, or is turned, something significant happens which changes the way the game is developing.
[British, journalism]The game turned in the 56th minute. [VERB]
...the Gareth Edwards try which turned the game between France and Wales in Paris in 1971. [VERB noun]
21. verb [no passive]
22. verb
23. singular noun
Turn is used in expressions such as the turn of the century and the turn of the year to refer to a period of time when one century or year is ending and the next one is beginning.
They fled to South America around the turn of the century. [+ of]
24. verb
25. countable noun [usually with poss, oft NOUN to-infinitive, N -ing]
If it is your turn to do something, you now have the duty, chance, or right to do it, when other people have done it before you or will do it after you.
Tonight it's my turn to cook.
Let each child have a turn at fishing. [+ at]
Students are expected to take their turn leading the study group.
opportunity, go, spell, shot [informal], time, try, round, chance, period, shift, crack [informal], succession, fling, stint, whack [informal]26. countable noun
27. See also turning
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