- present participle of turn.
turning
Americannoun
-
turnings
plural
noun
-
Also called: turn. a road, river, or path that turns off the main way
the fourth turning on the right
-
the point where such a way turns off
-
a bend in a straight course
-
an object made on a lathe
-
another name for turnery
-
(plural) the waste produced in turning on a lathe
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of turning
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at turn, -ing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The judge kept turning him down and said the court wouldn’t consider more filings before the final hearing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
"This year we're turning around. Charity begins at home. The boxes are being done in Staffordshire for Staffordshire kids."
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Tiny pinewood bonfires burned through the night at a mountain cemetery as the largely Christian Philippines remembered its dead, turning the fog-shrouded hilltop into a vast, fragrant altar of light.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
Drivers in Virginia’s program are allowed to exceed the speed limit twice between turning the car on and off, for 30 seconds each time and by 5 mph.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
Without turning his head, Fin-Kedinn said, ‘Did father ever mention the Soul-Eaters?’
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
"We get a lot of head turnings, if people are driving by, you can tell by their eyes they're just like, what?"
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2025
His initial Sleeping Beauty Castle was built utilizing plywood, PVC, wood turnings and cast resin veneer, but he has since updated the structure with largely polyurethane foam boards and 3D-printed materials.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
“He didn’t need any instruction really. He just took control, flown us around, made some turnings and basic maneuvers,” Hughes said.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 6, 2024
The dance is what the title suggests: the twistings and turnings of an insomniac, incarnated by the flexible Heriberto Meneses.
From New York Times ● Oct. 5, 2022
Lizzie Griffin, who belonged to the toe, grinned at the crab’s frantic turnings as it tried to sort out claws and legs.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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