# turning

Pronunciation: say "TUR-ning" US /ˈtɝ.nɪŋ/, UK /ˈtɜː.nɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of turn. — present participle and gerund of turn
   - Simple: Present participle and gerund of turn. Use this -ing form when the action is happening or when naming the action.
   - _Turning carefully, he guided the truck into the narrow space._
   - _He spent the morning turning the soil before planting._

## Noun

2. The act of rotating or twisting something around a point or axis.
   - Simple: The act of moving something so it spins or twists around.
   - _A single turning of the valve released the built-up pressure._
   - _The steady turning of the millstone ground the grain into flour._
3. A bend in a road, or a place where one road leads off from another. *(Ireland, UK)*
   - Simple: A place where a road bends or leads off in a new direction.
   - _Take the second turning past the church to reach the village._
   - _He slowed down as he approached the sharp turning in the lane._
4. The shaping of wood or metal by cutting it while it spins on a lathe.
   - Simple: The shaping of wood or metal by cutting it while it spins on a machine.
   - _The turning of the spindle required a sharp gouge and a steady hand._
   - _Fine turning of the brass fitting left a smooth, even surface._
5. A curl or shaving of wood or metal cut away while shaping a piece on a lathe.
   - Simple: A thin curl of wood or metal cut off while shaping something on a lathe.
   - _The turnings peeled away in tight golden spirals._
   - _He swept the brass turnings into a bucket for recycling._
6. One of the four eras, each lasting roughly 21 years, that together make up a saeculum in Strauss-Howe generational theory.
   - Simple: One of four periods, each about 21 years long, that form a longer cycle in a theory about generations.
   - _The authors describe the present period as a turning marked by institutional decay._
   - _Each turning, they argue, gives rise to a distinct generational mood._
7. In field hockey, a foul in which a player going for the ball puts their body between it and an opponent trying to play it.
   - Simple: In field hockey, a foul where a player blocks an opponent with their body to stop them reaching the ball.
   - _The umpire blew for a turning as the striker shielded the ball from the chasing defender._
   - _A clumsy turning near the circle gave the opposition a free hit._

## Origin

**Meanings 2–7** — From Middle English turnyng, from Old English tyrning or turnung, equivalent to turn plus the suffix -ing.
**Meaning 1** — From Middle English turninge, from Old English tyrnende or turniende, the present participle of tyrnan or turnian ("to turn"), equivalent to turn plus -ing.

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