turn over

British  

verb

1. to change or cause to change position, esp so as to reverse top and bottom

2. to start (an engine), esp with a starting handle, or (of an engine) to start or function correctly

3. to shift or cause to shift position, as by rolling from side to side

4. (tr) to deliver; transfer

5. (tr) to consider carefully

   he turned over the problem for hours

6. (tr)

   1. to sell and replenish (stock in trade)

   2. to transact business and so generate gross revenue of (a specified sum)

7. (tr) to invest and recover (capital)

8. slang (tr) to rob

9. slang (tr) to defeat utterly

10. to reform; resolve to improve one's behaviour

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noun

1. 1. the amount of business, usually expressed in terms of gross revenue, transacted during a specified period

   2. ( as modifier )

      a turnover tax

2. the rate at which stock in trade is sold and replenished

3. a change or reversal of position

4. a small semicircular or triangular pastry case filled with fruit, jam, etc

5. 1. the number of workers employed by a firm in a given period to replace those who have left

   2. the ratio between this number and the average number of employees during the same period

6. banking the amount of capital funds loaned on call during a specified period

adjective

1. (prenominal) able or designed to be turned or folded over

   a turnover collar

turn over Idioms  

1. Invert, bring the bottom to the top, as in We have to turn over the soil before we plant anything . [Second half of 1300s]

2. Shift position, as by rolling from side to side. For example, This bed is so narrow I can barely turn over . [First half of 1700s]

3. Rotate, cycle, as in The engine turned over but the car wouldn't start . [Early 1900s]

4. Think about, consider, as in She turned over the idea in her mind . [Early 1800s]

5. Transfer to another, surrender, as in I turned over the funds to the children . [Mid-1500s]

6. Do business to the extent or amount of, as in We hoped the company would turn over a million dollars the first year . [Mid-1800s]

7. Seem to lurch or heave convulsively, as in The plane hit an air pocket and my stomach turned over . [Second half of 1800s]

8. Replace or renew the constituent parts, as in Half of our staff turns over every few years . [Mid-1900s] Also see turn over a new leaf .

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Example Sentences

Academics have found External link that retail traders turn over their portfolios more frequently than institutions do.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

Washington: Watch how I turn over here to Mark and we switch subjects.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

The country also needed to turn over its highly enriched uranium, he said.

From BBC • May 23, 2026

She was willing to hold prosecutors’ feet to the fire and to review transcripts that they didn’t want to turn over.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

She couldn’t turn over with Gitl there on the shelf, so she whispered to the wall: “Gitl, Gitl, please.”

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen

Related Words

• assign
• convey
• deliver
• entrust
• give up
• hand over
• pass on
• provide
• relinquish
• supply
• surrender