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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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