turn

The word “turn” means to move or rotate around an axis, or to change direction. In plain terms, the basic idea is changing direction or state — physically rotating, changing into something different, or taking your allotted moment in a sequence.

“Turn” is pronounced turn (/tɜɹn/ in IPA).

Here is “turn” used in a sentence: “Turn left at the next intersection.”

Words with a similar meaning to “turn” include lathe, complete, 360° turn, complete rotation, complete turn and full rotation.

Depending on how it is used, “turn” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “turn” comes from Latin. From Old English turnian and Old French torner, both ultimately from Latin tornare, "to round off on a lathe," from tornus, "lathe.".

“Turn” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Turn” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to move or rotate around an axis, or to change direction.

To turn is broad — it can mean to change direction or to move around an axis, as in turning a corner or turning a key. To rotate is more specific and technical, meaning to spin around a central point or axis. Everything that rotates turns, but you can turn without fully rotating.

Both involve rotation, but spin suggests fast, continuous, repeated turning around an axis, like a spinning top or wheel. Turn is gentler and often means a single, controlled movement or a change of direction. You turn a page once, whereas a coin spins several times before it lands.

It can be both. Used transitively, it takes an object — 'she turned the handle.' Used intransitively, it stands alone — 'the wheel turns' or 'we turned left.' This flexibility lets turn describe both making something move and something moving by itself, which is why it appears in so many everyday phrases.

You can turn in the sense of changing direction — 'turn left at the lights' — or of rotating something — 'turn the key' or 'the Earth turns on its axis.' It also works figuratively, as in 'the conversation turned to money' or 'the weather turned cold,' meaning a shift or change.