turnTURN, v.t. [L. turnus; torniare, to turn; tornare, to return; torneare, tornire, to turn, to fence round, to tilt; torniamento, tournament.]
10. To metamorphose; as, to turn a worm into a winged insect. 11. To alter or change, as color; as, to turn green to blue. 12. To change or alter in any manner; to vary. 13. To translate; as, to turn Greek into English. 14. To change, as the manner of writing; as,to turn prose into verse. 15. To change, as from one opinion or party to another; as, to turn one from a tory to whig; to turn Mohammedan or a pagan to a Christian. 16. To change in regard to inclination or temper. 17. To change or alter from one purpose or effect to another. 18. To transfer. 19. To cause to nauseate or lothe; as, to turn the stomach. 20. To make giddy. 21. To infatuate; to make mad, wild or enthusiastic; as, to turn the brain. 22. To change direction to or from any point; as, to turn the eyes to the heavens; to turn the eyes from a disgusting spectacle. 23. To direct by a change to a certain purpose or object; to direct, as the inclination, thoughts or mind. I have turned my mind to the subject. 24. To revolve; to agitate in the mind. 25. To bend from a perpendicular direction; as, to turn the edge of an instrument. 26. To move from a direct course or strait line; to cause to deviate; as, to turn a horse from the road, or a ship from her course. 27. To apply by a change of use. 28. To reverse. 29. To keep passing and changing in the course of trade; as, to turn money or stock two or three times in the year. 30. To adapt the mind; chiefly in the participle. 31. To make acid; to sour; as, to turn cider or wine; to turn milk. 32. To persuade to renounce an opinion; to dissuade from a purpose, or cause to change sides. You cannot turn a firm man.
To turn aside, to avert. To turn away, to dismiss from service; to discard; as, to turn away a servant. To turn back, to return; as, to turn back goods to the seller. [Little used.] To turn down, to fold or double down. To turn in, to fold or double; as, to turn in the edge of cloth. To turn off, to dismiss contemptuously; as, to turn off a sycophant or parasite. To be turned of, to be advanced beyond; as, to be turned of sixty six. To turn out, to drive out; to expel; as, to turn a family out of doors, or out of the house. To turn over, to change sides; to roll over. turn to, to have recourse to. To turn upon, to retort; to throw back; as, to turn the arguments of an opponent upon himself. To turn the back, to flee; to retreat. Ex.23. To turn the back upon, to quit with contempt; to forsake. To turn the die or dice, to change fortune. TURN, v.i. To move round; to have a circular motion; as, a wheel turns on its axis; a spindle turns on a pivot; a man turns on his heel. 10. To change the mind or conduct. 11. To change to acid; as,mild turns suddenly during a thunder storm. 12. To be brought eventually; to result or terminate in. This trade has not turned to much account or advantage. The application of steam turns to good account, both on land and water. 13. To depend on for decision. The question turns on a single fact or point. 14. To become giddy. 15. To change a course of life; to repent. 16. To change the course or direction; as, the tide turns. To turn about, to move the face to another quarter. To turn away, to deviate. To turn off, to be diverted; to deviate from a course. The road turns off to the left. To turn on or upon, to reply or retort. To turn out, to move from its place, as a bone. To turn over, to turn from side to side; to roll; to tumble. To turn to, to be directed; as, the needle turns to the magnetic pole. To turn under, to bend or be folded downwards. To turn up, to bend or be doubled upwards. TURN, n. The act of turning; movement or motion in a circular direction, whether horizontally, vertically or otherwise; a revolution; as the turn of a wheel. 10. Reigning inclination or course. Religion is not to be adapted to the turn and fashion of the age. 11. A step off the ladder at the gallows. 12. Convenience; occasion; purpose; exigence; as, this will not serve his turn. 13. Form; cast; shape; manner; in a literal or figurative sense; as the turn of thought; a man of a sprightly turn in conversation. 14. Manner of arranging words in a sentence. 15. Change; new position of things. Some evil happens at every turn of affairs. 16. Change of direction; as the turn of the tide from flood to ebb. 17. One round of a rope or cord. 18. In mining, a pit sunk in some part of a drift. 19. Turn or tourn, in law. The sheriff's turn is a court of record, held by the sheriff twice a year in every hundred within his county. [England.] By turns, one after another; alternately. To take turns, to take each other's places alternately. |