turning

turn·ing
T1U1R1N1I1N1G2
UK/ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/US/ˈtɝ.nɪŋ/Northumbria/ˈtɔːn.ɪn/

noun

A turn or deviation from a straight course.

“Take the second turning on the left.”

Similar
CommonScrabble 8

Meanings

turning1

nounturning (plural turnings)

plural turnings

  1. IrelandUKA turn or deviation from a straight course.

    Take the second turning on the left.

    1 more example

    Except for turnings with a deflated rear tire as an outerside tire, difference in the performance is small between fixed control and manual control.

    1974, Shoichi Sano, “Steering and Handling Characteristics of a Vehicle when Fail-safe Tire is Deflated”, in Fifth International Technical Conference on Experimental Safety Vehicles, page 909
  2. field hockeyAt hockey, a foul committed by a player attempting to hit the ball who interposes their body between the ball and an opposing player trying to do the same.
  3. The cutting of wood or metal on a lathe to shape it as needed.
  4. The act of one who turns (rotates or twists).

    A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.

    2012 March 28, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3
    1 more example

    Still talking—more to herself than to the children—she swam into a majestical dance of the stateliest balancings, the haughtiest wheelings and turnings aside, the most dignified sinkings, the gravest risings, all joined together by the elaboratest interlacing steps and circles.

    1910, Rudyard Kipling, Rewards and Fairies
  5. One of the four eras, each lasting for about 21 years, that make up a saeculum according to the Strauss-Howe generational theory.

    Howe and Strauss predicted that in the Fourth Turning, Millennials would unite behind their president.

  6. pluralplural onlyShavings produced by turning something on a lathe.

    The turnings get into your trouser turnups!

    Synonyms: swarf

turning2

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of turn

    The Earth is turning about its axis as we speak.

    1 more example

    He made wooden soldiers by turning them on a hand lathe.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounShavings produced by turning something on a lathe.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

Similar
Broader
change of course

nouna movement in a new direction

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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

turning · noun

  1. Old Englishtyrning
  2. Middle Englishturnyng
  3. Englishturning

From Middle English turnyng, turnynge, from Old English tyrning, turnung, equivalent to turn + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

turning · verb

  1. Old Englishtyrnan
  2. Old Englishtyrnende
  3. Middle Englishturninge
  4. Englishturning

From Middle English turninge, turnynge, turninde, turnand, turnende, from Old English tyrnende, turniende, present participle of Old English tyrnan, turnian (“to turn”). Equivalent to turn + -ing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek στροφή
  • στροφή (strophḗ)A turn or deviation from a straight course
Bulgarian завой, стругуване
  • завой (zavoj)A turn or deviation from a straight course
  • стругуване (struguvane)The shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
  • стру́жка (strúžka)The shavings produced by turning something on a lathe
Chinese Mandarin 車削 /车削, 車加工 /车加工
  • 車削 /车削 (chēxiāo)The shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
  • 車加工 /车加工 (chējiāgōng)The shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
Finnish mutka, sorvaus
  • mutkaA turn or deviation from a straight course
  • sorvausThe shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
  • sorvaaminenThe shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
French virage
  • virageA turn or deviation from a straight course
Greek στροφή
  • στροφή (strofí)A turn or deviation from a straight course
Hindi घुमाव, मोड़
  • घुमाव (ghumāv)A turn or deviation from a straight course
  • मोड़ (moṛ)A turn or deviation from a straight course
Hungarian forgács
  • forgácsThe shavings produced by turning something on a lathe
Romanian viraj
  • virajA turn or deviation from a straight course
Spanish bocacalle
  • bocacalleA turn or deviation from a straight course
Swedish trycksvarvning, svarvning
  • trycksvarvningThe shaping of wood or metal on a lathe
  • svarvningThe shaping of wood or metal on a lathe

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with turning

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

turning. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turning

MLA

“turning.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turning. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turning,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turning.

Source: turning on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.