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• turner
  turner

  noun

  a person or thing that turns or is employed in turning.
• Turner
  Turner

  noun

  Frederick Jackson, 1861–1932, U.S. historian.

turner

¹ American  

[tur-ner] / ˈtɜr nər /

noun

1. a person or thing that turns or is employed in turning.

2. a person who fashions or shapes objects on a lathe.

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turner ² American  

[tur-ner, toor-] / ˈtɜr nər, ˈtʊər- /

noun

1. a member of a turnverein; tumbler or gymnast.

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Turner ³ American  

[tur-ner] / ˈtɜr nər /

noun

1. Frederick Jackson, 1861–1932, U.S. historian.

2. Joseph Mallord William, 1775–1851, English painter.

3. Joseph Vernon Big Joe, 1911–85, U.S. jazz and blues singer.

4. Nat, 1800–31, enslaved African American leader: led uprising of enslaved and free Black people in Southampton County, Virginia, 1831.

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Turner ¹ British  

/ ˈtɜːnə /

noun

1. Jane . born 1961, Australian television actress and writer, best known for playing 'Kath' in the comedy series Kath & Kim (2002–2007)

2. J ( oseph ) M ( allord ) W ( illiam ). 1775–1851, British landscape painter; a master of water colours. He sought to convey atmosphere by means of an innovative use of colour and gradations of light

3. Nat . 1800–31, US rebel slave, who led (1831) Turner's Insurrection, the only major slave revolt in US history: executed

4. Robert Edward III, known as Ted. born 1938, US broadcasting executive and yachtsman; chairman of Turner Broadcasting (1970–96), founder of Cable News Network (1980), and vice-chairman of Time Warner (1996–2003)

5. Tina , real name Annie Mae Bullock . born 1940, US rock singer who performed (1958–75) with her then husband Ike Turner (1931–2007) and later as a solo act. Her recordings include "River Deep, Mountain High" (1966) and "Simply the Best" (1991)

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turner ² British  

/ ˈtɜːnə /

noun

1. a person or thing that turns, esp a person who operates a lathe

2. a member of a society of gymnasts

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Etymology

Origin of turner¹

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at turn, -er ¹

Origin of turner²

1850–55; < German Turner gymnast, derivative of turnen to exercise < French tourner to turn; see -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turner Turner

"The Godfather is a page turner," Trigiani wrote, "but when I searched for the matriarch, she was sorely missing."

From Barron's ● May 14, 2026

With no human behind the wheel, it sailed smoothly through the streets of Beijing, dodging the occasional double parker or illegal turner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2025

Sajak’s co-host and letter turner Vanna White paid an emotional tribute to her partner on Thursday’s episode, calling him “like a brother” and a “true lifelong friend.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 6, 2024

Crawley's dismissal, bowled by a sharp turner from the magical Kuldeep Yadav, preceded the real carnage.

From BBC ● Mar. 7, 2024

His mother sprang forward, the pancake turner held threateningly high.

From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson

Writing in the Yale Law Journal, Cherneff reconstructed the history of In re Turner, an 1867 decision by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase that helped end the re-enslavement of Black children through involuntary “apprenticeships.”

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Mark Joseph Stern: Elizabeth Turner was 8 years old when she was indentured just two days after she and her mother ostensibly gained their freedom.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

“It’s a major cost of construction,” said Richard Turner, who sold fill from his farmland in southeast Virginia for more than two decades.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

Investors could be left disappointed, given that Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has tended to shy away from forward guidance and favors short statements, ING analysts James Knightley and Chris Turner said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Mrs. Turner? I have to go now. Thank you for the cookies and all.”

From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce