turning

The word “turning” means a change in direction; a bend or curve in a road or path. In plain terms, a place where a road changes direction, or the craft of shaping material by spinning it on a lathe.

“Turning” is pronounced TUR-nihng (/ˈtɝ.nɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “turning” used in a sentence: “Take the next turning on the left.”

“Turning” is a noun.

The word “turning” comes from Old English. From Old English tyrning, built from turn plus the "-ing" ending that makes a noun out of an action.

“Turning” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Turning” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a change in direction; a bend or curve in a road or path.

A turning is simply a point where a road bends or where you can change direction, such as a side road leading off a main one. A junction is where two or more roads meet and traffic can move between them. Every junction offers a turning, but a gentle bend in the road is a turning without being a junction.

A turning point is the figurative use of turning: a moment when a situation changes direction decisively, marking a shift from one course to another. A job offer, a diagnosis, or a key battle can all be turning points. The image comes from a physical turning in a road, applied to the path of events.

In British usage you might be told to "take the second turning on the left," meaning the second side road or bend where you can change direction. A turning can be a junction, a driveway, or simply a curve in the route, any point where the path changes the way it heads.