Turn
(Turn) v. t. [imp. & p. p. Turned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Turning.] [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. a turner's chisel, a carpenter's tool for drawing circles; probably akin to E. 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 Hindu
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.
