turn*/*/*/

[tɜːn] verb I

1) [I/T] to change the position of your body or your head so that you are facing in a different direction

She turned and smiled at me.[/ex]

He turned his head and looked around the room.[/ex]

Maria turned to the reporters and said: ‘I'm innocent.'[/ex]

Lopez just glared at the other man and then turned away.[/ex]

The girls in front turned round and smiled.[/ex]

2) [T] to change the position of something so that it is pointing in a different direction

Turn your chairs round so you're facing me.[/ex]

3) [I/T] to change the direction in which you are moving or travelling, or to make something change direction

We turned into our drive, glad to get home.[/ex]

The truck turned around and came back down the hill.[/ex]

Follow this road, then turn right after the school.[/ex]

They ordered the pilot to turn the plane around.[/ex]

4) [I/T] to make a circular movement, or to make something move in a circle

I heard the key turn in the lock.[/ex]

5) [T] if you turn the page of a book or magazine, you move it in order to read a different page

6) [linking verb] to change and do something else, or to become something else

The weather turned chilly in the afternoon.[/ex]

The crowd was beginning to turn violent.[/ex]

The lizard's skin turned green as we watched.[/ex]

7) [linking verb] to become a particular age

He turned 40 in March.[/ex]

•

turn your back on sb/sth — to refuse to accept someone or something that you have previously accepted[/ex]

turn a corner — to reach a stage in which a situation improves, after a difficult period[/ex]

- turn (sb) against sb/sth

- turn sth around

- turn sb away

- turn back

- turn sth down

- turn sb in

- turn (sth) into sth

- turn off

- turn sb off

- turn sth off

- turn sb on

- turn sth on

- turn on sb

- turn out

- turn sth out

- turn over

- turn (sth) over

- turn sb/sth over

- turn sth round

- turn to sb

- turn to sth

- turn (sth) to sth

- turn up

- turn sth up

II

noun [C]

turn */*/*/[tɜːn]

1) the time when you can or must do something, because you are part of a group of people who are each doing the same activity, one after the other

You've already moved your piece – it's my turn now.[/ex]

You'll just have to wait your turn (= be patient until it is your turn).[/ex]

I think it's your turn to wash the dishes.[/ex]

2) a place where a road bends to the right or left

There's a very sharp turn at the end of the road.[/ex]

3) a change of direction made by a person or vehicle

He made a left turn into a quiet street.[/ex]

4) a change in a situation

The weather suddenly took a turn for the worse (= became worse).[/ex]

We wanted to express our shock at today's tragic turn of events (= unexpected change in the situation).[/ex]

5) a circular movement, when something is turned around

•

in turn — 1) one after the other in a particular order[/ex]

We will deal with each of these problems in turn.[/ex]

— 2) as a result of something that is part of a connected series of events

Bad farming methods caused soil erosion, and this in turn made the land less productive.[/ex]

take turns; take it in turn(s) — Britishif people take turns to do something, each of them does their share of it, one after the other[/ex]

We took turns steering the boat.[/ex]

the turn of the century/year — the time around the end of one century or year and the beginning of the next one[/ex]

a mansion built at the turn of the century[/ex]