From Middle Englishturnen, from Old Englishturnian, tyrnan(“to turn, rotate, revolve”) and Old Frenchtorner(“to turn”), both from Latintornāre(“to round off, turn in a lathe”), from tornus(“lathe”), from Ancient Greekτόρνος(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 Englishþrāwan(“to turn, twist, wind”), whence Englishthrow. Displaced native Middle Englishwenden from Old Englishwendan (see wend), and Middle Englishtrenden from Old Englishtrendan (see trend), among several other terms.
Verb
turn (third-person singular simple presentturns, present participleturning, simple past and past participleturnedor(obsolete)turnt)
To make a non-linear physical movement.
(intransitive) Of a body, person, etc, to move around an axis through itself.
(transitive) To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.
(intransitive) To change one's direction of travel.
(transitive) To shape (something) symmetrically by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool, as on a lathe.
(by extension) To give form to; to shape or mould; to adapt.
(transitive) To position (something) by folding it, or using its folds.
(transitive, figuratively) To navigate through a book or other printed material.
(transitive) To twist or sprain.
(transitive, cricket) 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.
(intransitive)To change condition or attitude.
(copulative) To become (begin to be).
Synonyms:become, get
(intransitive) To change the color of the leaves in the autumn.
To change fundamentally; to metamorphose.
(intransitive) To sour or spoil; to go bad.
(transitive) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle.
(transitive, fantasy) To change (a person) into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.
(intransitive, fantasy) To transform into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.
To reach a certain age.
To hinge; to depend.
To rebel; to go against something formerly tolerated.
To change personal condition.
(professional wrestling) To change personalities, such as from being a face (good guy) to heel (bad guy) or vice versa.
To become giddy; said of the head or brain.
To sicken; to nauseate.
To be nauseated; said of the stomach.
(obsolete, reflexive) To change one's course of action; to take a new approach.
(transitive, usually with over) To complete.
(transitive) To make (money); turn a profit.
(transitive, soccer) Of a player, to go past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.
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.
(archaic) To translate.
(transitive, roleplaying games) To magically or divinely repel undead.
Conjugation
Synonyms
(move around an axis through itself):rotate, spin, twirl
(change the direction or orientation of):rotate
(change one's direction of travel): steer, swerve, tack
(nautical)
(position (something) by folding it back on itself):
(become):become, get, go
(rebel):rebel, revolt
(shape on a lathe):lathe
(go bad):go bad, go off, sour, spoil
(complete):complete
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
Partly from Anglo-Norman*torn, from Latinturnus, from Ancient Greekτόρνος(tórnos), and partly an action noun from the verb turn.
Noun
turn (pluralturns)
A change of direction or orientation.
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.
A walk to and fro.
Synonym:promenade
A chance to use (something) shared in sequence with others.
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.
The time required to complete a project.
Synonym:turnaround
A fit or a period of giddiness.
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.
A deed done to another; an act of kindness or malice.
A single loop of a coil.
(rope) A pass behind or through an object.
Character; personality; nature.
(soccer) An instance of going past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.
(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.
(UK, finance, historical) The profit made by a stockjobber, being the difference between the buying and selling prices.
Synonyms
(change of direction or orientation):
(movement about an axis returning to the original orientation): 360° turn, complete rotation, complete turn, full rotation, full turn
(single loop of a coil):loop
(chance to use (something) shared in sequence with others): go
(one's chance to make a move in a game): go, move
(figure in music):
(time required to complete a project):
(fit or period of giddiness):dizziness, dizzy spell, giddiness
(change in temperament or circumstance):change, swing
(sideways movement of a cricket ball):
Derived terms
See alsoturning
Related terms
Descendants
→ Japanese: ターン(tān)
Translations
See also
Appendix:Parts of the knot
ornament
trill
Anagrams
runt
Finnish
Etymology
Borrowed from Englishturn.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /ˈtøːn/, [ˈt̪ø̞ːn]
Noun
turn
(poker) turn (fourth communal card in Texas hold'em)
Declension
Synonyms
neljäs avokortti
Icelandic
Etymology
From Latinturris(“tower”). Cognate with Danishtårn and GermanTurm. First appears in the 12th or 13th century.