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

• unturning
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of turning

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

Example Sentences

“They really want to talk to me about the impact that show made on them as kids, turning them into lifelong readers. They’re trying to pass that on to their kids now.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

It could be a turning point for the fledgling government, but it’s very unclear in what direction.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

China -- long a reliable market for German exports, from cars to factory machinery -- has in recent years become a fierce competitor in many industries, turning the relationship on its head.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

The study examined more than 200 years of global population data and identified a major turning point in human population trends that began during the mid twentieth century.

From Science Daily • May 27, 2026

Anna May said, opening her arms and turning in a half circle.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Related Words

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