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.

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)