/ tɜːn; NAmE tɜːrn/ verb , noun
■ verb
MOVE ROUND
1.
to move or make sth move around a central point :
[ v ]
The wheels of the car began to turn.
I can't get the screw to turn.
[ vn ]
He turned the key in the lock.
She turned the wheel sharply to the left.
CHANGE POSITION / DIRECTION
2.
[usually + adv. / prep. ] to move your body or part of your body so as to face or start moving in a different direction :
[ v ]
We turned and headed for home.
She turned to look at me.
He turned back to his work.
I turned away and looked out of the window.
[ vn ]
He turned his back to the wall.
She turned her head away.
—see also turn over
3.
[ vn + adv. / prep. ] to move sth so that it is in a different position or facing a different direction :
She turned the chair on its side to repair it.
Turn the sweater inside out before you wash it.
—see also turn over
4.
to change the direction you are moving or travelling in; to make sth change the direction it is moving in :
[ v ]
He turned into a narrow street.
[ vn ]
The man turned the corner and disappeared.
I turned the car into the car park.
5.
[ v , usually + adv. / prep. ] ( of a road or river ) to curve in a particular direction :
The road turns to the left after the church.
AIM / POINT
6.
to aim or point sth in a particular direction :
[ vn ]
Police turned water cannon on the rioters.
He turned the gun on himself.
She looked at him then turned her attention back to me.
[ v ]
His thoughts turned to his dead wife.
OF TIDE IN SEA
7.
[ v ] to start to come in or go out :
The tide is turning—we'd better get back.
LET SB / STH GO
8.
to make or let sb/sth go into a particular place or state :
[ vn ]
They turned the horse into the field.
[ vn - adj ]
to turn the dogs loose
FOLD
9.
[ vn ] to fold sth in a particular way :
She turned down the blankets and climbed into bed.
He turned up the collar of his coat and hurried out into the rain.
CARTWHEEL / SOMERSAULT
10.
[ vn ] [ no passive ] to perform a movement by moving your body in a circle :
to turn cartwheels / somersaults
PAGE
11.
if you turn a page of a book or magazine, you move it so that you can read the next page :
[ vn ]
He sat turning the pages idly.
[ v ]
Turn to p.23.
GAME
12.
[ v , vn ] turn (sth) (around) if a game turns or sb turns it, it changes the way it is developing so that a different person or team starts to win
BECOME
13.
linking verb to change into a particular state or condition; to make sth do this :
[ v - adj ]
The leaves were turning brown.
The weather has turned cold.
He turned nasty when we refused to give him the money.
He decided to turn professional .
[ vn - adj ]
The heat turned the milk sour.
[ v - n ]
She turned a deathly shade of white when she heard the news.
He's a lawyer turned politician (= he used to be a lawyer but is now a politician) .
➡ note at become
AGE / TIME
14.
linking verb [ v - n ] (not used in the progressive tenses) to reach or pass a particular age or time :
She turns 21 in June.
It's turned midnight.
STOMACH
15.
[ v , vn ] when your stomach turns or sth turns your stomach, you feel as though you will vomit
WOOD
16.
[ vn ] to shape sth on a lathe :
to turn a chair leg
turned boxes and bowls
•
IDIOMS
Most idioms containing turn are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example not turn a hair is at hair .
- as it / things turned out
- be well, badly, etc. turned out
- turn round / around and do sth
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- turn against sb | turn sb against sb
- turn around / round | turn sb/sth around / round
- turn around / round | turn sth around / round
- turn sb away (from sth)
- turn back | turn sb/sth back
- turn sb/sth down
- turn sth down
- turn in
- turn sb in
- turn sth in
- turn in on yourself
- turn (from sth) into sth
- turn sb/sth (from sth) into sth
- turn off | turn off sth
- turn off
- turn sb off
- turn sth off
- turn on sb
- turn on sth
- turn sb on
- turn sb on (to sth)
- turn sth on
- turn out
- turn sb/sth out
- turn sb out (of / from sth)
- turn sth out
- turn over
- turn over sth
- turn sth over
- turn sb over to sb
- turn sth over to sb
- turn sth over to sth
- turn to sb/sth
- turn up
- turn sth up
■ noun
[ C ]
MOVEMENT
1.
an act of turning sb/sth around :
Give the handle a few turns.
OF ROAD / VEHICLE
2.
a change in direction in a vehicle :
Make a left / right turn into West Street.
—see also three-point turn , U-turn
3.
( especially NAmE ) = turning
4.
a bend or corner in a road :
a lane full of twists and turns
TIME
5.
the time when sb in a group of people should or is allowed to do sth :
When it's your turn, take another card.
Please wait your turn .
Whose turn is it to cook?
Steve took a turn driving while I slept.
CHANGE
6.
an unusual or unexpected change in what is happening :
a surprising turn of events
His health has taken a turn for the worse (= suddenly got worse) .
Events took a dramatic turn in the weeks that followed.
The book is, by turns , funny and very sad.
—see also about-turn
PERFORMANCE
7.
a short performance or piece of entertainment such as a song, etc. :
Everyone got up on stage to do a turn.
—see also star turn
WALK
8.
( old-fashioned ) a short walk :
We took a turn around the park.
ILLNESS
9.
( old-fashioned ) a feeling of illness :
a funny turn (= a feeling that you may faint)
•
IDIOMS
- at every turn
- (do sb) a good turn
- done to a turn
- give sb a turn
- in turn
- one good turn deserves another
- on the turn
- speak / talk out of turn
- take turns (in sth / to do sth)
- the turn of the century / year
- a turn of mind
- a turn of phrase
- a turn of the screw
- a turn of speed
—more at hand noun , serve verb
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English tyrnan , 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.