English

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Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *terh₁-der.
Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor.
Latin tornus
Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
Proto-Italic *-āō
Latin -ō
Latin tornōbor.
Proto-West Germanic *turnēn
Old English turnian
▲
Latin tornō
Old French tornerbor.
Middle English turnen
English turn

    From Middle English turnen, from Old English turnian, tyrnan (“to turn, rotate, revolve”), from Proto-West Germanic *turnēn (“to turn, lathe”) (also the source of German turnen and its derivatives) 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.

    Verb

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

    1. To make a non-linear physical movement.
      1. (intransitive, of a body, person, etc) To move about an axis through itself.
        the Earth turns
        turn on the spot
        • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
          "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. […]."
        • 1989 September 18, Billy Joel, “We Didn't Start the Fire”, in Storm Front‎[1]:
          We didn't start the fire / It was always burning / Since the world's been turning
      2. (transitive) To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.
        Turn the knob clockwise.
        • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], “The First Gun”, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 9–10:
          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.
        • 2013 July-August, Lee S. Langston, “The Adaptable Gas Turbine”, in American Scientist:
          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.
      3. (intransitive) To change one's direction of travel.
        She turned right at the corner.
        • 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 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.
        • 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter I, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
          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.
      4. (transitive) To shape (something) symmetrically by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool, as on a lathe.
        She turned the table legs with care and precision.
      5. (by extension) To give form to; to shape or mould; to adapt.
      6. (transitive) To direct or impel (something) into a place.
        Add sugar and butter, then turn the mixture into a dish.
        The farmer turned the cows into a field.
      7. (transitive) To position (something) by folding it, or using its folds.
        turn the bed covers;  turn the pages
      8. (transitive, figuratively) To navigate through a book or other printed material.
        turn to page twenty;  turn through the book
      9. (transitive) To twist or sprain.
        I fell off my bike and turned my ankle severely.
      10. (transitive, cricket) Of a bowler, to make (the ball) move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.
      11. (intransitive, cricket) Of a ball, to move sideways off the pitch when it bounces.
    2. (intransitive or transitive) To change condition or attitude.
      2. (copulative) To become (often used with colors, clear sudden changes, weather and ages).
        Near-synonyms: become, get, go, come, fall, grow, wax
        The leaves turn brown in autumn.
        When I asked him for the money, he turned nasty.
        Charlie turns six on September 29.
        • 1697, [William] Congreve, The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, page 39:
          Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, / Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman ſcorn'd.
        • 2007, Junius P. Rodriguez, Encyclopedia of Emancipation and Abolition in the Transatlantic World:
          The former-slaves-turned-abolitionists Quobna Ottobah Cugoano and Olaudah Equiano were the chief organizers of the Sons of Africa.
        • 2012 April 21, Jonathan Jurejko, “Newcastle 3-0 Stoke”, in BBC Sport:
          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.
      3. (intransitive) To change the color of the leaves in the autumn.
        The hillside behind our house isn't generally much to look at, but once all the trees turn it's gorgeous.
      4. To change fundamentally; to metamorphose.
        Midas made everything turn to gold.  He turned into a monster every full moon.
        • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “Silverside”, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC, page 300:
          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.
        • 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4:
          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.
        1. (intransitive) To sour or spoil; to go bad.
          This milk has turned; it smells awful.
        2. (transitive) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle.
          to turn cider or wine
        3. (transitive, fantasy) To change (a person) into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.
          How long ago was he turned?
          • 2017, Michael J. Totten, Into the Wasteland: A Zombie Novel:
            His companions had turned him on purpose. Annie, bless her heart, was immune.
        4. (intransitive, fantasy) To transform into a vampire, werewolf, zombie, etc.
          Bruce Banner turns when he is angry: he becomes the Hulk, an incredibly powerful green monster.
        5. (transitive, slang, sometimes offensive) To change the sexual orientation or gender of another person, or otherwise awaken a sexual preference.
          • 2009 September 10, W. C. Harris, Queer Externalities: Hazardous Encounters in American Culture, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 154:
            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.
          • 2023 May 15, Eliot Borenstein, Marvel Comics in the 1970s: The World Inside Your Head, Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 244:
            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
      5. To hinge; to depend.
        The decision turns on a single fact.
      6. To rebel; to go against something formerly tolerated.
        The prisoners turned on the warden.
        • 1855 December – 1857 June, Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1857, →OCLC:
          ‘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.’
      7. To change personal condition.
        1. (professional wrestling) To change personalities, such as from being a face (good guy) to heel (bad guy) or vice versa.
        2. (ambitransitive) To make or become giddy; said of the head or brain.
        3. To sicken; to nauseate.
          The sight turned my stomach.
        4. To be nauseated; said of the stomach.
    3. (reflexive) To change one's course of action; to take a new approach.
    4. (transitive, usually with over) To complete.
      They say they can turn the parts in two days.
    5. (transitive) To make (money); turn a profit.
      We turned a pretty penny with that little scheme.
    6. (transitive, soccer) Of a player, to go past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.
      • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:
        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.
    7. To undergo the process of turning on a lathe.
      Ivory turns well.
    8. (obstetrics) To bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in order to facilitate delivery.
    9. (printing, dated) To invert a type of the same thickness, as a temporary substitute for any sort which is exhausted.
    10. (archaic) To translate.
      to turn the Iliad
      • 1735, Alexander Pope, The Prologue to the Satires:
        who turns a Persian tale for half a crown
    11. (transitive, roleplaying games) To magically or divinely repel undead.
    Conjugation
    Conjugation of turn
    infinitive (to) turn
    present tense past tense
    1st-person singular turn turned
    2nd-person singular turn, turnest† turned, turnedst†
    3rd-person singular turns, turneth† turned
    plural turn
    subjunctive turn turned
    imperative turn —
    participles turning turned, turnt†

    † Archaic or obsolete.

    Synonyms
    Derived terms
    Translations
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Etymology 2

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

    Noun

    turn (plural turns)

    A: Turn (16)
    B: Round turn
    C: Two round turns
    1. A change of direction or orientation.
      Give the handle a turn, then pull it.
      • 1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
        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.
    2. A movement of an object about its own axis in one direction that continues until the object returns to its initial orientation.
      2. (geometry) A unit of plane angle measurement based on this movement.
    3. A walk to and fro.
      Synonym: promenade
      Let's take a turn in the garden.
    4. A chance to use (something) shared in sequence with others.
      They took turns playing with the new toy.
      • 1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
        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.
    5. A spell of work, especially the time allotted to a person in a rota or schedule.
      I cooked tonight, so it's your turn to do the dishes.
    6. One's chance to make a move in a game having two or more players.
    7. 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.
    8. The time required to complete a project.
      Synonym: turnaround
      They quote a three-day turn on parts like those.
    9. The transition from one period or era to another.
      turn of the century
      • 1990, Ferenc Glatz, Etudes historiques hongroises 1990: Ethnicity and society in Hungary:
        By about 1300, Hungary's population was three times what it had been at the turn of the millenium.
      • 1997, A People's Poetry: Hen Benillion, Seren Books:
        […] As long as ocean water's salt, And birch-trees feel the winds' assault, And crows build nests at winter's turn, Darling, I shall never return.
      • 2020 December 17, Colin Chambers, Black and Asian Theatre In Britain: A History, Routledge, →ISBN, page 1835:
        Writers arrive, in extremely small numbers, only at the turn of the Victorian era into the Edwardian era when modern Pan-Africanism was being born.
    10. A fit or a period of giddiness.
      I've had a funny turn.
      • 1865 September 23, “Mrs. Brown and the Emperor of the French”, in Fun‎[2], London: Published (for the proprietors) by Thomas Baker, →OCLC, page 17:
        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, […]
      • 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:
        '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.'
    11. A change in temperament or circumstance.
      She took a turn for the worse.
    12. (cricket) A sideways movement of the ball when it bounces (caused by rotation in flight).
    13. (poker) The fourth communal card in Texas hold 'em.
    14. (poker, obsolete) The flop (the first three community cards) in Texas hold 'em.
    15. A deed done to another; an act of kindness or malice.
      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 […].
    16. A single loop of a coil.
    17. (rope) A pass behind or through an object.
    18. Character; personality; nature.
      • 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:
        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.
    19. (soccer) An instance of going past an opposition player with the ball in one's control.
    20. (circus, theater, especially physical comedy) A short skit, act, or routine.
      • 1960, Theatre Notebook, volumes 14-16, page 122:
        Between the pieces were individual turns, comic songs and dances.
    21. (printing, dated) A type turned upside down to serve for another character that is not available.
    22. (UK, finance, historical) The profit made by a stockjobber, being the difference between the buying and selling prices.
      • 1977, Michael Arthur Firth, Valuation of Shares and the Efficient-markets Theory, page 11:
        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 […]
    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
    Descendants
    Translations
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    See also

    Anagrams

    Finnish

    Etymology

    Borrowed from English turn.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    turn

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

    Declension

    Inflection of turn (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
    nominative turn turnit
    genitive turnin turnien
    partitive turnia turneja
    illative turniin turneihin
    singular plural
    nominative turn turnit
    accusative nom. turn turnit
    gen. turnin
    genitive turnin turnien
    partitive turnia turneja
    inessive turnissa turneissa
    elative turnista turneista
    illative turniin turneihin
    adessive turnilla turneilla
    ablative turnilta turneilta
    allative turnille turneille
    essive turnina turneina
    translative turniksi turneiksi
    abessive turnitta turneitta
    instructive — turnein
    comitative See the possessive forms below.
    Possessive forms of turn (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
    first-person singular possessor
    singular plural
    nominative turnini turnini
    accusative nom. turnini turnini
    gen. turnini
    genitive turnini turnieni
    partitive turniani turnejani
    inessive turnissani turneissani
    elative turnistani turneistani
    illative turniini turneihini
    adessive turnillani turneillani
    ablative turniltani turneiltani
    allative turnilleni turneilleni
    essive turninani turneinani
    translative turnikseni turneikseni
    abessive turnittani turneittani
    instructive — —
    comitative — turneineni
    second-person singular possessor
    singular plural
    nominative turnisi turnisi
    accusative nom. turnisi turnisi
    gen. turnisi
    genitive turnisi turniesi
    partitive turniasi turnejasi
    inessive turnissasi turneissasi
    elative turnistasi turneistasi
    illative turniisi turneihisi
    adessive turnillasi turneillasi
    ablative turniltasi turneiltasi
    allative turnillesi turneillesi
    essive turninasi turneinasi
    translative turniksesi turneiksesi
    abessive turnittasi turneittasi
    instructive — —
    comitative — turneinesi
    first-person plural possessor
    singular plural
    nominative turnimme turnimme
    accusative nom. turnimme turnimme
    gen. turnimme
    genitive turnimme turniemme
    partitive turniamme turnejamme
    inessive turnissamme turneissamme
    elative turnistamme turneistamme
    illative turniimme turneihimme
    adessive turnillamme turneillamme
    ablative turniltamme turneiltamme
    allative turnillemme turneillemme
    essive turninamme turneinamme
    translative turniksemme turneiksemme
    abessive turnittamme turneittamme
    instructive — —
    comitative — turneinemme
    second-person plural possessor
    singular plural
    nominative turninne turninne
    accusative nom. turninne turninne
    gen. turninne
    genitive turninne turnienne
    partitive turnianne turnejanne
    inessive turnissanne turneissanne
    elative turnistanne turneistanne
    illative turniinne turneihinne
    adessive turnillanne turneillanne
    ablative turniltanne turneiltanne
    allative turnillenne turneillenne
    essive turninanne turneinanne
    translative turniksenne turneiksenne
    abessive turnittanne turneittanne
    instructive — —
    comitative — turneinenne
    third-person possessor
    singular plural
    nominative turninsa turninsa
    accusative nom. turninsa turninsa
    gen. turninsa
    genitive turninsa turniensa
    partitive turniaan
    turniansa     		turnejaan
    turnejansa
    inessive turnissaan
    turnissansa     		turneissaan
    turneissansa
    elative turnistaan
    turnistansa     		turneistaan
    turneistansa
    illative turniinsa turneihinsa
    adessive turnillaan
    turnillansa     		turneillaan
    turneillansa
    ablative turniltaan
    turniltansa     		turneiltaan
    turneiltansa
    allative turnilleen
    turnillensa     		turneilleen
    turneillensa
    essive turninaan
    turninansa     		turneinaan
    turneinansa
    translative turnikseen
    turniksensa     		turneikseen
    turneiksensa
    abessive turnittaan
    turnittansa     		turneittaan
    turneittansa
    instructive — —
    comitative — turneineen
    turneinensa

    Synonyms

    Icelandic

    Etymology

    From Latin turris (“tower”). Cognate with Danish tårn and German Turm. First appears in the 12th or 13th century.

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    turn m (genitive singular turns, nominative plural turnar)

    1. tower

    Declension

    Declension of turn (masculine)
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative turn turninn turnar turnarnir
    accusative turn turninn turna turnana
    dative turni turninum turnum turnunum
    genitive turns turnsins turna turnanna

    Middle High German

    Alternative forms

    Etymology

      Inherited from Old High German turn.

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): (before 13th CE) /ˈturn/

      Noun

      turn m

      1. tower

      Declension

      Declension of turn (strong masculine without umlaut)
      singular plural
      indef. def. noun def. noun
      nominative ein dër turn die turne
      genitive eines dës turnes dër turne
      dative eime dëm turne dën turnen
      accusative einen dën turn die turne

      Descendants

      References

      • Benecke, Georg Friedrich; Müller, Wilhelm; Zarncke, Friedrich (1863), “turn”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch: mit Benutzung des Nachlasses von Benecke, Stuttgart: S. Hirzel
      • Köbler, Gerhard (2014), “turn”, in Mittelhochdeutsches Wörterbuch (in German), 3rd edition

      Norwegian Bokmål

      Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia no

      Etymology

      From the verb turne; compare with German Turnen.

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      turn m (indeclinable) (uncountable)

      1. gymnastics (an athletic discipline)

      References

      Norwegian Nynorsk

      Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia nn

      Etymology

      From the verb turne.

      Noun

      turn m (uncountable)

      1. gymnastics (an athletic discipline)

      References

      Old High German

      Etymology

      Borrowed from Old French *torn (cf. the diminutive tornele), variant of tor.

      Noun

      turn m

      1. tower

      Declension

      Declension of turn (masculine a-stem)
      case singular plural
      nominative turn turnā, turna
      accusative turn turnā, turna
      genitive turnes turno
      dative turne turnum
      instrumental turnu —
      Declension of turn (masculine i-stem)
      case singular plural
      nominative turn turni
      accusative turn turni
      genitive turnes turno
      dative turne turnim, turnen
      instrumental turnu —

      Descendants

      References

      Romanian

      Etymology

      Borrowed from German Turm, from Latin turrem, accusative form of turris.

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      turn n (plural turnuri)

      1. tower
      2. (chess) rook
        Synonym: tură

      Declension

      singular plural
      indefinite definite indefinite definite
      nominative-accusative turn turnul turnuri turnurile
      genitive-dative turn turnului turnuri turnurilor
      vocative turnule turnurilor

      See also

      Chess pieces in Romanian · piese de șah (layout · text)
      ♚ ♛ ♜ ♝ ♞ ♟
      rege regină, damă tură, turn nebun cal pion
      source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/turn