turning

American  

[tur-ning] / ˈtɜr nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that turns.

2. an act of reversing position.

3. the place or point at which anything bends or changes direction.

4. the forming of objects on a lathe.

5. an object, as a spindle, turned on a lathe.

6. an act of shaping or forming something.

   the skillful turning of verses.

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turning British  

/ ˈtɜːnɪŋ /

noun

1. Also called: turn.  a road, river, or path that turns off the main way

   the fourth turning on the right

2. the point where such a way turns off

3. a bend in a straight course

4. an object made on a lathe

5. another name for turnery

6. (plural) the waste produced in turning on a lathe

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• unturning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of turning

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at turn, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Zegna’s clothes offered clothing in vibrant, carnival colors that reminded me of the turning of the seasons, of moments of change.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Nuvalent is the U.K. drugmaker’s biggest acquisition in years and fits with its goal of turning oncology into a key growth engine for the group, Mould says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

That suggests people were turning to public transportation, rather than paying up for fuel themselves.

From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026

Local governments and companies are increasingly turning to technology for solutions.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

Helen manages a sympathetic peek before turning back to her own switchboard.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• aberration
• alteration
• anomaly
• breach
• detour
• discrepancy
• disparity
• divergence
• diversion
• fluctuation
• inconsistency
• irregularity
• modification
• variance
• variation