1. To change orientation or direction
   "Turn towards me"; "The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"
    
2. Cause to move around or rotate
   "turn a key"; "turn your palm this way"
    
3. Undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
   "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the election";
   - change state
    
4. Undergo a change or development
   "The water turned into ice"; "He turned traitor";
   - become
    
5. Change to the contrary
   "the tides turned against him"; "public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern";
   - reverse
    
6. Move around an axis or a centre
   "The wheels are turning"
    
7. Cause to move around a centre so as to show another side of
   "turn a page of a book";
   - turn over
    
8. Pass to the other side of
   "turn the corner";
   - move around
    
9. Pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
   "The weather turned nasty";
   - grow
    
10. Cause to move along an axis or into a new direction
    "turn your dance partner around"; "turn your face to the wall"; "turn the car around"
     
11. Channel one's attention, interest or thought toward or away from something
    "The pedophile turned to boys for satisfaction"; "people turn to mysticism at the turn of a millennium"
     
12. Alter the functioning or setting of
    "turn the dial to 10"; "turn the heat down"
     
13. Direct at someone
    "She turned a smile on me"; "They turned their flashlights on the car"
     
14. (farming) to break and turn over earth especially with a plough
    "turn the earth in the spring";
    - plow [N. Amer], plough [Brit, Cdn]
     
15. Shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel
    "turn the legs of the table"; "turn the clay on the wheel"
     
16. Accomplish by rotating
    "turn a somersault"; "turn cartwheels"
     
17. Change colour
    "In Vermont, the leaves turn early"
     
18. Cause to change into something different; assume new characteristics
    "The princess turned the frog into a prince by kissing him"; "The alchemists tried to turn lead into gold"
     
19. Get by buying and selling
    "the company turned a good profit after a year"
     
20. Cause (an object) to assume a crooked or angular form
    "the strong man could turn an iron bar";
    - flex, bend, deform, twist
     
21. Have recourse to or make an appeal or request for help or information to
    "She turned to her relatives for help";
    - call on
     
22. Twist suddenly so as to sprain
    "I turned my ankle and couldn't walk for several days";
    - twist, sprain, wrench, wrick, rick
     
23. Let (something) fall or spill from a container
    "turn the flour onto a plate";
    - release
     
24. To send or let go
    "They turned away the crowd at the gate of the governor's mansion"
     
25. Go sour or spoil
    "The cream has turned — we have to throw it out";
    - sour, ferment, work
     
26. Become officially one year older
    "She is turning 50 this year"

1. The act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
   "he took a turn to the right";
   - turning
    
2. A circular segment of a curve
   "a turn in the road";
   - bend, crook, twist
    
3. A movement in a new direction
   "the turn of the wind";
   - turning
    
4. Turning or twisting around (in place)
   "with a quick turn of his head he surveyed the room";
   - twist
    
5. The act of turning away or in the opposite direction
   "he made an abrupt turn away from her"
    
6. (game) the activity of doing something in an agreed succession
   "it is my turn";
   - play
    
7. An unforeseen development
   "events suddenly took an awkward turn"; "The sudden turn of events caught everyone by surprise";
   - turn of events, twist
    
8. A time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
   "it's my turn";
   - go, spell, tour
    
9. (sport) a division of a game during which one team is on the offensive
   "It was our turn to bat";
   - bout, round
    
10. A short performance that is part of a longer program
    "he did his turn three times every evening";
    - act, routine, number, bit
     
11. A favour for someone
    "he did me a good turn";
    - good turn
     
12. Taking a short walk out and back
    "we took a turn in the park"
     
13. A short period of feeling ill
    "She had a bad turn and had to lie down"

Sounds like: Tunney, tur

Derived forms: turned, turning, turns

See also: double back, pick up, put off, turn away, turn to

Type of: acquire, activity, age, aim, alter, appeal, change, change form, change of course, change of direction, change shape, channel, channelise [Brit], channelize, color [US], colour [Brit, Cdn], control, curve, curved shape, deform, development, direct, discolor [US], discolour [Brit, Cdn], displace, division, do, duty period, favor [US], favour [Brit, Cdn], form, get, get on, go, injure, invoke, locomote, maturate, mature, metamorphose, modify, motion, move, movement, operate, part, perform, performance, public presentation, reorientation, rotary motion, rotation, section, send, senesce, shape, shift, take, take aim, till, train, transfer, transform, transmit, transmute, travel, walk, work shift, wound

Part of: period of play, play, playing period

Encyclopedia: Turn, Lancashire