TURNING
turning
(noun) act of changing in practice or custom; “the law took many turnings over the years”
turn, turning
(noun) the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course; “he took a turn to the right”
turning
(noun) the activity of shaping something on a lathe
turning
(noun) the end-product created by shaping something on a lathe
turning, turn
(noun) a movement in a new direction; “the turning of the wind”
turning
(noun) a shaving created when something is produced by turning it on a lathe
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
turning (plural turnings)
(British) A turn or deviation from a straight course.
(field hockey) At hockey, a foul committed by a player attempting to hit the ball who interposes their body between the ball and an opposing player trying to do the same.
The shaping of wood or metal on a lathe.
The act of turning.
(plural only) Shavings produced by turning something on a lathe.
Synonyms
• (shavings): swarf
Verb
turning
present participle of turn
Anagrams
• Ringnut, runting
Source: Wiktionary
Turn"ing, n.
1. The act of one who, or that which, turns; also, a winding; a
bending course; a fiexure; a meander.
Through paths and turnings often trod by day. Milton.
2. The place of a turn; an angle or corner, as of a road.
It is preached at every turning. Coleridge.
3. Deviation from the way or proper course. Harmar.
4. Turnery, or the shaping of solid substances into various by means
of a lathe and cutting tools.
5. pl.
Definition: The pieces, or chips, detached in the process of turning from
the material turned.
6. (Mil.)
Definition: A maneuver by which an enemy or a position is turned. Turning
and boring mill, a kind of lathe having a vertical spindle and
horizontal face plate, for turning and boring large work.
– Turning bridge. See the Note under Drawbridge.
– Turning engine, an engine lathe.
– Turning lathe, a lathe used by turners to shape their work.
– Turning pair. See the Note under Pair, n.
– Turning point, the point upon which a question turns, and which
decides a case.
TURN
Turn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Turned; p. pr. & vb. n. Turning.] Etym:
[OE. turnen, tournen, OF. tourner, torner, turner, F. tourner, LL.
tornare, fr. L. tornare to turn in a lathe, to rounds off, fr. tornus
a lathe, Gr. throw. See Throw, and cf. Attorney, Return, Tornado,
Tour, Tournament.]
1. To cause to move upon a center, or as if upon a center; to give
circular motion to; to cause to revolve; to cause to move round,
either partially, wholly, or repeatedly; to make to change position
so as to present other sides in given directions; to make to face
otherwise; as, to turn a wheel or a spindle; to turn the body or the
head.
Turn the adamantine spindle round. Milton.
The monarch turns him to his royal guest. Pope.
2. To cause to present a different side uppermost or outmost; to make
the upper side the lower, or the inside to be the outside of; to
reverse the position of; as, to turn a box or a board; to turn a
coat.
3. To give another direction, tendency, or inclination to; to direct
otherwise; to deflect; to incline differently; -- used both literally
and figuratively; as, to turn the eyes to the heavens; to turn a
horse from the road, or a ship from her course; to turn the attention
to or from something. "Expert when to advance, or stand, or, turn the
sway of battle." Milton.
Thrice I deluded her, and turned to sport Her importunity. Milton.
My thoughts are turned on peace. Addison.
4. To change from a given use or office; to divert, as to another
purpose or end; to transfer; to use or employ; to apply; to devote.
Therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David. 1 Chron. x.
14.
God will make these evils the occasion of a greater good, by turning
them to advantage in this world. Tillotson.
When the passage is open, land will be turned most to cattle; when
shut, to sheep. Sir W. Temple.
5. To change the form, quality, aspect, or effect of; to alter; to
metamorphose; to convert; to transform; -- often with to or into
before the word denoting the effect or product of the change; as, to
turn a worm into a winged insect; to turn green to blue; to turn
prose into verse; to turn a Whig to a Tory, or a Hindoo to a
Christian; to turn good to evil, and the like.
The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon
thee. Deut. xxx. 3.
And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel
into foolishness. 2 Sam. xv. 31.
Impatience turns an ague into a fever. Jer. Taylor.
6. To form in a lathe; to shape or fashion (anything) by applying a
cutting tool to it while revolving; as, to turn the legs of stools or
tables; to turn ivory or metal.
I had rather hear a brazen canstick turned. Shak.
7. Hence, to give form to; to shape; to mold; to put in proper
condition; to adapt. "The poet's pen turns them to shapes." Shak.
His limbs how turned, how broad his shoulders spread ! Pope.
He was perfectly well turned for trade. Addison.
8. Specifically: --
(a) To translate; to construe; as, to turn the Iliad.
Who turns a Persian tale for half a crown. Pope.
(b) To make acid or sour; to ferment; to curdle, etc.: as, to turn
cider or wine; electricity turns milk quickly.
(c) To sicken; to nauseate; as, an emetic turns one's stomach. To be
turned of, be advanced beyond; as, to be turned of sixty-six.
– To turn a cold shoulder to, to treat with neglect or
indifference.
– To turn a corner, to go round a corner.
– To turn adrift, to cast off, to cease to care for.
– To turn a flange (Mech.), to form a flange on, as around a metal
sheet or boiler plate, by stretching, bending, and hammering, or
rolling the metal.
– To turn against. (a) To direct against; as, to turn one's
arguments against himself. (b) To make unfavorable or hostile to; as,
to turn one's friends against him.
– To turn a hostile army, To turn the enemy's flank, or the like
(Mil.), to pass round it, and take a position behind it or upon its
side.
– To turn a penny, or To turn an honest penny, to make a small
profit by trade, or the like.
– To turn around one's finger, to have complete control of the will
and actions of; to be able to influence at pleasure.
– To turn aside, to avert.
– To turn away. (a) To dismiss from service; to discard; as, to
turn away a servant. (b) To avert; as, to turn away wrath or evil.
– To turn back. (a) To give back; to return.
We turn not back the silks upon the merchants, When we have soiled
them. Shak.
(b) To cause to return or retrace one's steps; hence, to drive away;
to repel. Shak.
– To turn down. (a) To fold or double down. (b) To turn over so as
to conceal the face of; as, to turn down cards. (c) To lower, or
reduce in size, by turning a valve, stopcock, or the like; as, turn
down the lights.
– To turn in. (a) To fold or double under; as, to turn in the edge
of cloth. (b) To direct inwards; as, to turn the toes in when
walking. (c) To contribute; to deliver up; as, he turned in a large
amount. [Colloq.] -- To turn in the mind, to revolve, ponder, or
meditate upon; -- with about, over, etc. " Turn these ideas about in
your mind." I. Watts.
– To turn off. (a) To dismiss contemptuously; as, to turn off a
sycophant or a parasite. (b) To give over; to reduce. (c) To divert;
to deflect; as, to turn off the thoughts from serious subjects; to
turn off a joke. (d) To accomplish; to perform, as work. (e) (Mech.)
To remove, as a surface, by the process of turning; to reduce in size
by turning. (f) To shut off, as a fluid, by means of a valve,
stopcock, or other device; to stop the passage of; as, to turn off
the water or the gas.
– To turn on, to cause to flow by turning a valve, stopcock, or the
like; to give passage to; as, to turn on steam.
– To turn one's coat, to change one's uniform or colors; to go over
to the opposite party.
– To turn one's goods or money, and the like, to exchange in the
course of trade; to keep in lively exchange or circulation; to gain
or increase in trade.
– To turn one's hand to, to adapt or apply one's self to; to engage
in.
– To turn out. (a) To drive out; to expel; as, to turn a family out
of doors; to turn a man out of office.
I'll turn you out of my kingdom. Shak.
(b) to put to pasture, as cattle or horses. (c) To produce, as the
result of labor, or any process of manufacture; to furnish in a
completed state. (d) To reverse, as a pocket, bag, etc., so as to
bring the inside to the outside; hence, to produce. (e) To cause to
cease, or to put out, by turning a stopcock, valve, or the like; as,
to turn out the lights.
– To turn over. (a) To change or reverse the position of; to
overset; to overturn; to cause to roll over. (b) To transfer; as, to
turn over business to another hand. (c) To read or examine, as a
book, while, turning the leaves. "We turned o'er many books
together." Shak. (d) To handle in business; to do business to the
amount of; as, he turns over millions a year. [Colloq.] -- To turn
over a new leaf. See under Leaf.
– To turn tail, to run away; to retreat ignominiously.
– To turn the back, to flee; to retreat.
– To turn the back on or upon, to treat with contempt; to reject or
refuse unceremoniously.
– To turn the corner, to pass the critical stage; to get by the
worst point; hence, to begin to improve, or to succeed.
– To turn the die or dice, to change fortune.
– To turn the edge or point of, to bend over the edge or point of
so as to make dull; to blunt.
– To turn the head or brain of, to make giddy, wild, insane, or the
like; to infatuate; to overthrow the reason or judgment of; as, a
little success turned his head.
– To turn the scale or balance, to change the preponderance; to
decide or determine something doubtful.
– To turn the stomach of, to nauseate; to sicken.
– To turn the tables, to reverse the chances or conditions of
success or superiority; to give the advantage to the person or side
previously at a disadvantage.
– To turn tippet, to make a change. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
– To turn to profit, advantage, etc., to make profitable or
advantageous.
– To turn up. (a) To turn so as to bring the bottom side on top;
as, to turn up the trump. (b) To bring from beneath to the surface,
as in plowing, digging, etc. (c) To give an upward curve to; to tilt;
as, to turn up the nose.
– To turn upon, to retort; to throw back; as, to turn the arguments
of an opponent upon himself.
– To turn upside down, to confuse by putting things awry; to throw
into disorder.
This house is turned upside down since Robin Ostler died. Shak.
Turn, v. i.
1. To move round; to have a circular motion; to revolve entirely,
repeatedly, or partially; to change position, so as to face
differently; to whirl or wheel round; as, a wheel turns on its axis;
a spindle turns on a pivot; a man turns on his heel.
The gate . . . on golden hinges turning. Milton.
2. Hence, to revolve as if upon a point of support; to hinge; to
depend; as, the decision turns on a single fact.
Conditions of peace certainly turn upon events of war. Swift.
3. To result or terminate; to come about; to eventuate; to issue.
If we repent seriously, submit contentedly, and serve him faithfully,
afflictions shall turn to our advantage. Wake.
4. To be deflected; to take a different direction or tendency; to be
directed otherwise; to be differently applied; to be transferred; as,
to turn from the road.
Turn from thy fierce wrath. Ex. xxxii. 12.
Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways. Ezek. xxxiii. 11.
The understanding turns inward on itself, and reflects on its own
operations. Locke.
5. To be changed, altered, or transformed; to become transmuted;
also, to become by a change or changes; to grow; as, wood turns to
stone; water turns to ice; one color turns to another; to turn
Mohammedan.
I hope you have no intent to turn husband. Shak.
Cygnets from gray turn white. Bacon.
6. To undergo the process of turning on a lathe; as, ivory turns
well.
7. Specifically: --
(a) To become acid; to sour; -- said of milk, ale, etc.
(b) To become giddy; -- said of the head or brain.
I'll look no more; Lest my brain turn. Shak.
(c) To be nauseated; -- said of the stomach.
(d) To become inclined in the other direction; -- said of scales.
(e) To change from ebb to flow, or from flow to ebb; -- said of the
tide.
(f) (Obstetrics) To bring down the feet of a child in the womb, in
order to facilitate delivery.
8. (Print.)
Definition: To invert a type of the same thickness, as temporary substitute
for any sort which is exhausted. To turn about, to face to another
quarter; to turn around.
– To turn again, to come back after going; to return. Shak.
– To turn against, to become unfriendly or hostile to.
– To turn aside or away. (a) To turn from the direct course; to
withdraw from a company; to deviate. (b) To depart; to remove. (c) To
avert one's face.
– To turn back, to turn so as to go in an opposite direction; to
retrace one's steps.
– To turn in. (a) To bend inward. (b) To enter for lodgings or
entertainment. (c) To go to bed. [Colloq.] -- To turn into, to enter
by making a turn; as, to turn into a side street.
– To turn off, to be diverted; to deviate from a course; as, the
road turns off to the left.
– To turn on or upon. (a) To turn against; to confront in hostility
or anger. (b) To reply to or retort. (c) To depend on; as, the result
turns on one condition.
– To turn out. (a) To move from its place, as a bone. (b) To bend
or point outward; as, his toes turn out. (c) To rise from bed.
[Colloq.] (d) To come abroad; to appear; as, not many turned out to
the fire. (e) To prove in the result; to issue; to result; as, the
cropsturned out poorly.
– To turn over, to turn from side to side; to roll; to tumble.
– To turn round. (a) To change position so as to face in another
direction. (b) To change one's opinion; to change from one view or
party to another.
– To turn to, to apply one's self to; have recourse to; to refer
to. "Helvicus's tables may be turned to on all occasions." Locke.
– To turn to account, profit, advantage, or the like, to be made
profitable or advantageous; to become worth the while.
– To turn under, to bend, or be folded, downward or under.
– To turn up. (a) To bend, or be doubled, upward. (b) To appear; to
come to light; to transpire; to occur; to happen.
Turn, n.
1. The act of turning; movement or motion about, or as if about, a
center or axis; revolution; as, the turn of a wheel.
2. Change of direction, course, or tendency; different order,
position, or aspect of affairs; alteration; vicissitude; as, the turn
of the tide.
At length his complaint took a favorable turn. Macaulay.
The turns and varieties of all passions. Hooker.
Too well the turns of mortal chance I know. Pope.
3. One of the successive portions of a course, or of a series of
occurrences, reckoning from change to change; hence, a winding; a
bend; a meander.
And all its [the river's] thousand turns disclose. Some fresher
beauty varying round. Byron.
4. A circuitous walk, or a walk to and fro, ending where it began; a
short walk; a stroll.
Come, you and I must walk a turn together. Shak.
I will take a turn in your garden. Dryden.
5. Successive course; opportunity enjoyed by alternation with another
or with others, or in due order; due chance; alternate or incidental
occasion; appropriate time. "Nobleness and bounty . . . had their
turns in his [the king's] nature."
His turn will come to laugh at you again. Denham
.
Every one has a fair turn to be as great as he pleases. Collier.
6. Incidental or opportune deed or office; occasional act of kindness
or malice; as, to do one an ill turn.
Had I not done a friendes turn to thee Chaucer.
thanks are half lost when good turns are delayed. Fairfax.
7. Convenience; occasion; purpose; exigence; as, this will not serve
his turn.
I have enough to serve mine own turn. Shak.
8. Form; cast; shape; manner; fashion; -- used in a literal or
figurative sense; hence, form of expression; mode of signifying; as,
the turn of thought; a man of a sprightly turn in conversation.
The turn of both his expressions and thoughts is unharmonious.
Dryden.
The Roman poets, in their description of a beautiful man, often
mention the turn of his neck and arms. Addison.
9. A change of condition; especially, a sudden or recurring symptom
of illness, as a nervous shock, or fainting spell; as, a bad turn.
[Colloq.]
10. A fall off the ladder at the gallows; a hanging; -- so called
from the practice of causing the criminal to stand on a ladder which
was turned over, so throwing him off, when the signal was given.
[Obs.]
11. A round of a rope or cord in order to secure it, as about a pin
or a cleat.
12. (Mining)
Definition: A pit sunk in some part of a drift.
13. (Eng. Law)
Definition: A court of record, held by the sheriff twice a year in every
hundred within his county. Blount.
14. pl. (Med.)
Definition: Monthly courses; menses. [Colloq.]
15. (Mus.)
Definition: An embellishment or grace (marked thus, By turns. (a) One after
another; alternately; in succession. (b) At intervals. "[They] feel
by turns the bitter change." Milton.
– In turn, in due order of succession.
– To a turn, exactly; perfectly; as, done to a turn; -- a phrase
alluding to the practice of cooking on a revolving spit.
– To take turns, to alternate; to succeed one another in due order.
– Turn and turn about, by equal alternating periods of service or
duty; by turns.
– Turn bench, a simple portable lathe, used on a bench by clock
makers and watchmakers.
– Turn buckle. See Turnbuckle, in Vocabulary.
– Turn cap, a sort of chimney cap which turns round with the wind
so as to present its opening to the leeward. G. Francis.
– Turn of life (Med.), change of life. See under Change.
– Turn screw, a screw driver.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition