A change of direction or orientation.
"As we reached the fork in the road, I had to turn left to avoid getting lost."
In plain English: A turn is your chance to do something or take your place in line.
"The turn signal on my car is broken."
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
"Turn towards me"
"The mugger turned and fled before I could see his face"
"She turned from herself and learned to listen to others' needs"
undergo a transformation or a change of position or action
"We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"
"The people turned against the President when he stole the election"
change to the contrary
"The trend was reversed"
"the tides turned against him"
"public opinion turned when it was revealed that the president had an affair with a White House intern"
shape by rotating on a lathe or cutting device or a wheel
"turn the legs of the table"
"turn the clay on the wheel"
cause to change or turn into something different;assume new characteristics
"The princess turned the frog into a prince by kissing him"
"The alchemists tried to turn lead into gold"
cause to move along an axis or into a new direction
"turn your face to the wall"
"turn the car around"
"turn your dance partner around"
channel one's attention, interest, thought, or attention toward or away from something
"The pedophile turned to boys for satisfaction"
"people turn to mysticism at the turn of a millennium"
To make a non-linear physical movement.
"After walking straight down the long corridor, he had to turn sharply left at the end of the hall."
Of a body, person, etc, to move around an axis through itself.
"When I try to spin on my toes for balance, my knees often buckle and I can't keep myself from turning too quickly."
In plain English: To turn means to change direction or rotate around an axis.
"Please turn left at the next intersection."
Usage: Use this verb when describing something rotating on its own center or changing direction by pivoting rather than moving in a straight line. It is the standard choice for actions like turning a doorknob or spinning a wheel, distinct from simply walking away or shifting position without rotation.
The word "turn" comes from the Old English verb tyrnan, which originally meant to rotate or revolve something in a lathe. This meaning traveled into modern English through Middle English and ultimately traces back to Ancient Greek for a turning tool used to make circles.