[turn loose] See: LET LOOSE(1a).

[turn off]{v.} 1. To stop by turning a knob or handle or by working a switch; to cause to be off. •/He turned the water off./ •/He turned off the light./ 2. To leave by turning right or left onto another way./ •/Turn off the highway at exit 5./ •/The car turned off on Bridge Street./ 3. {slang} To disgust, bore, or repel (someone) by being intellectually, emotionally, socially, or sexually unattractive. •/I won’t date Linda Bell anymore — she just turns me off./ Contrast: TURN ON.

[turn of the century]{n. phr.} The time at the end of one century and the beginning of the next century; {especially}: The time when the 1800’s became the 1900’s; the early 1900’s. •/Automobiles were strange things to see at the turn of the century./

[turn on]{v.} 1. To start by turning a knob or handle or working a switch; cause to be on. •/Jack turned on the water./ •/Who turned the lights on?/ 2. {informal} To put forth or succeed with as easily as turning on water. •/She really turns on the charm when that new boy is around./ 3. To attack. •/The lion tamer was afraid the lions would turn on him./ •/After Joe fumbled the ball and lost the big game, his friends turned on him./ 4. {slang} The opposite of turning someone off; to become greatly interested in an idea, person, or undertaking; to arouse the senses pleasantly. •/Mozart’s music always turns me on./ 5. Introducing someone to a new experience, or set of values. •/Benjamin turned me on to transcendental meditation, and ever since I’ve been feeling great!/ Contrast: TURN OFF.

[turn on a dime]{v. phr.} To be able to turn in a very narrow spot comparable to a small coin. •/This new sports car can turn on a dime./

[turn one around one’s little finger] See: TWIST ONE AROUND ONE’S LITTLE FINGER.

[turn one’s back on]{v. phr.} To refuse to help (someone in trouble or need.) •/He turned his back on his own family when they needed help./ •/The poorer nations are often not grateful for our help, but still we can not turn our back on them./ Compare: GO BACK ON(1).

[turn one’s hand to] See: PUT ONE’S HAND TO.

[turn one’s head]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make you lose your good judgment. •/The first pretty girl he saw turned his head./ •/Winning the class election turned his head./

[turn one’s nose up at]{v. phr.} To scorn; snub; look down at somebody or something. •/I don’t understand why Sue has to turn her nose up at everyone who didn’t go to an Ivy League college./

[turn one’s stomach]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make you feel sick. •/The smell of that cigar was enough to turn your stomach./ •/The sight of blood turns my stomach./

[turn on one’s heel]{v. phr.} To turn around suddenly. •/When John saw Fred approaching him, he turned on his heel./ •/When little Tommy’s big brother showed up, the bully turned on his heel./

[turnout]{n.} The number of people in attendance at a gathering. •/This is a terrific turnout for Tim’s poetry reading./

[turn out]{v.} 1. To make leave or go away. •/His father turned him out of the house./ •/If you don’t behave, you will be turned out./ Compare: THROW OUT. 2. To turn inside out; empty. •/He turned out his pockets looking for the money./ •/Robbers turned out all the drawers in the house in a search for jewels./ 3. To make; produce. •/The printing press turns out a thousand books an hour./ •/Sally can turn out a cake in no time./ •/Martin turns out a poem each week for the school paper./ 4. {informal} To get out of bed. •/At camp the boys had to turn out early and go to bed early too./ Contrast: TURN IN(4). 5. {informal} To come or go out to see or do something. •/Everybody turned out for the big parade./ •/Many boys turned out for football practice./ Compare: FALL OUT. 6. To prove to be; be in the end; be found to be. •/The noise turned out to be just the dog scratching at the door./ •/Her guess turned out to be right./ •/Everything turned out all right./ 7. To make (a light) go out. •/Please turn out the lights./ Syn.: TURN OFF(1).

[turnover]{n.} 1. The proportion of expenditure and income realized in a business; the volume of traffic in a business. •/Our turnover is so great that in two short years we tripled our original investment and are expanding at a great rate./ 2. Triangular baked pastry filled with some fruit. •/John’s favorite dessert is apple turnovers./ 3. The number of employees coming and going in a company. •/The boss is so strict in our office that the turnover in personnel is very large./

[turn over]{v.} 1. To roll, tip, or turn from one side to the other; overturn; upset. •/He’s going to turn over the page./ •/The bike hit a rock and turned over./ 2, To think about carefully; to consider. •/He turned the problem over in his mind for three days before he did anything about it./ 3. To give to someone for use or care. •/I turned my library books over to the librarian./ •/Mrs. Jackson brought her boy to the school and turned him over to the housefather./ •/Bob turns over most of the money he earns to his mother./ 4. Of an engine or motor; to start. •/The battery is dead and the motor won’t turn over./ 5a. To buy and then sell to customers. •/The store turned over $5,000 worth of skiing equipment in January./ 5b. To be bought in large enough amounts; sell. •/In a shoe store, shoes of medium width turn over quickly, because many people wear that size, but a pair of narrow shoes may not be sold for years./

[turn over a new leaf]{v. phr.} To start afresh; to have a new beginning. •/"Don’t be sad, Jane," Sue said. "A divorce is not the end of the world. Just turn over a new leaf and you will soon be happy again."/ Compare: CLEAN SLATE.

[turn over in one’s grave] See: TURN IN ONE’S GRAVE.

[turn over in one’s mind]{v. phr.} To carefully consider. •/I will have to turn it over in my mind whether to accept the new job offer from Japan./

[turn tail]{v. phr.}, {informal} To run away from trouble or danger. •/When the bully saw my big brother, he turned tail and ran./

[turn the clock back]{v. phr.} To return to an earlier period. •/Mother wished she could turn the clock back to the days before the children grew up and left home./ •/Will repealing the minimum wage for workers under age eighteen turn the clock back to the abuses of the last century?/

[turn the other cheek]{v. phr.} To let someone do something to you and not to do it in return; not hit back when hit; be patient when injured or insulted by someone; not try to get even. •/Joe turned the other cheek when he was hit with a snowball./

[turn the scales]{v. phr.} To affect the balance in favor of one party or group against the other. •/It could well be that the speech he made turned the scales in their favor./

[turn the tables]{v. phr.} To make something happen just the opposite of how it is supposed to happen. •/The boys turned the tables on John when they took his squirt gun away and squirted him./

[turn the tide]{v. phr.} To change what looks like defeat into victory. •/We were losing the game until Jack got there. His coming turned the tide for us, and we won./ Compare: TIP THE SCALES.