# turn on

Pronunciation: say "turn ON" US /ˌtɝn ˈɑn/, UK /ˌtɜːn ˈɒn/; AUS

## Phrasal verb

1. To start up or activate something such as an appliance, a light, a mechanism, or a feature.
   - Simple: To make a machine, light, or other thing start working.
   - _Could you turn on the porch light before our guests arrive?_
   - _I turned location services on so the app could find stores near me._
2. Of a device, to start operating or power up.
   - Simple: Of a machine, to start working.
   - _The streetlights turn on automatically at dusk._
   - _The printer turned on by itself in the middle of the night._
3. To make someone feel sexually aroused.
   - Simple: To make someone feel sexual desire.
   - _Nothing turns her on more than a man who can cook._
   - _After ten years together, they still know how to turn each other on._
4. To rebel against someone or suddenly attack them.
   - Simple: To suddenly attack someone or go against them.
   - _The dog turned on its owner without any warning._
   - _Once the scandal broke, voters began to turn on the senator they had elected twice._
5. To start a flow of liquid or gas running by turning a faucet or valve.
   - Simple: To make water or gas start to flow by turning a faucet or valve.
   - _She turned the hose on and watered the tomatoes._
   - _Don't turn on the gas until you have a match ready to light the burner._
7. To introduce someone to something, especially in a way that fills them with enthusiasm, or to excite and delight them.
   - Simple: To show someone something new and make them excited about it.
   - _My older brother turned me on to science fiction when I was ten._
   - _A great teacher can turn students on to poetry for life._
8. To depend on something, or to have it as the central point or subject.
   - Simple: To depend on something, or to be mostly about it.
   - _The whole case turns on whether the witness can be trusted._
   - _Much of the novel's plot turns on a single lost letter._
9. To aim something, such as a light or a weapon, at someone or something.
   - Simple: To point something, like a light or a gun, at someone or something.
   - _The officer turned the spotlight on the van parked behind the warehouse._
   - _The cornered soldier turned his rifle on the advancing troops._
10. To cause one person or group to rebel against or suddenly attack another.
   - Simple: To make someone go against or attack another person.
   - _The regime spread rumors to turn neighbors on one another._
   - _Years of gossip had turned the two sisters on each other._
11. To take drugs. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To use drugs.
   - _Half the band used to light a joint and turn on before every show._
   - _They drove out to the desert with a bag of mushrooms to turn on and watch the stars._
12. To get someone to start taking drugs, especially hallucinogens. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To get someone to start taking drugs, especially ones that make people see strange things.
   - _He never forgave the friend who turned him on to LSD._
   - _The dealer's plan was to turn on as many college kids as he could with free acid._

## Noun · turn-on

Pronunciation: say "TURN-on" US /ˈtɝnˌɑn/, UK /ˈtɜːnˌɒn/

6. Something that attracts, pleases, or encourages someone, especially in a sexual way.
   - Simple: Something a person finds attractive or exciting, often in a sexual way.
   - _A good sense of humor is a real turn-on._
   - _For many buyers, a big backyard is a major turn-on._

## Origin

A noun formed from the verb turn on.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/turn-on (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).