▪ I. turning, vbl. n.
(ˈtɜːnɪŋ)
[f. turn v. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb turn, in various senses (also concretely).
The earliest examples occur in senses 1 b (c 1230) and 4 (1303).
1. a. Movement about an axis or centre; rotation, revolution.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love i. v. (Skeat) I. 64 Olde doinges and by many turninges of yeres used. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 8 After the tornynge of the whiel. 1538 Elyot, Reuolutio,..a reuolucion or tournynge of celestiall bodyes or spheres. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 55 An Order of Monkes,..called Dervises, whom I haue often seene to dance..; dances that consist of continuall turnings. 1802 Paley Nat. Theol. xx. (ed. 2) 376 As the turning of a weather-board or tin cap upon the top of a chimney. 1821 Scott Kenilw. xxix, I mind it not the turning of a key. 1868 M. E. Braddon Dead Sea Fr. viii, An earthly river..instrumental in the turning of paper-mills. |
b. A sensation as of rotation; ‘whirling’, giddiness, vertigo.
| c 1230 Hali Meid. 35 Of breines turnunge þin heaued [schal] ake. 1398 Trevisa Barth De P.R. xvi. lxii. (Add. MS. 27944) lf. 202/2 It schal seme..þat þe hous schulde falle anone and þat semynge is by moeuynge þat comeþ by tornynge of þe brayne. |
2. a. The action of shaping or working something on a lathe; the art of shaping things by means of a lathe; the work of a turner.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 507/1 Turnynge, or throwynge of treyn vessel..tornatura. 1620 in Swayne Sarum Churchw. Acc. (1896) 171 Turninge of Banisters and pendantes. 1680 Moxon Mech. Exerc. xi. 194 In Turning, all Irregularities must be wrought smooth down. 1726 Leoni tr. Alberti's Archit. I. 25/1 Workmen lay their Timber under water.., especially such as they design for turning. 1873 J. Richards Wood-working Factories 158 Turning is an..important branch of wood work. |
b. pl. (
concr.) Chips or shavings
of some substance produced by turning in a lathe.
| 1800 Henry Epit. Chem. (1808) 64 A small ball formed of turnings of zinc. 1812 Sir H. Davy Chem. Philos. 322 If iron turnings be heated to whiteness in a curved gun-barrel, and potash be melted and made slowly to come in contact with the turnings,..potassium will be formed. 1868 Joynson Metals 115 To make an iron cement..mix..112 lbs. of clean cast-iron borings or turnings, with 8 oz. of sal ammoniac. |
3. fig. Shaping, moulding, fashioning (of literary work, etc.).
| 1586 W. Webbe Eng. Poetrie (Arb.) 65 Such are the turning of verses: the infolding of wordes. 1858 Longfellow M. Standish ii. 90 You are an elegant scholar, Having..skill in the turning of phrases. |
4. a. The action, or an act, of changing posture or direction by moving as on a pivot; movement so as to face or point in a different, or in some particular, direction. Also
fig.| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 8875 Whan we turnede aboute On a womman myn yȝe ys y-caste... Þe dekene loked at þe nexte turnyng, She was a-wey, he sagh no þyng. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon iii. 114, & at this tornyng that he thus made he slewe Esmenfray. 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. i. (Arb.) 89 A weake smithe..wyl wyth a lipe and turnyng of his arme, take vp a barre of yron. c 1618 Moryson Itin. iv. v. i. (1903) 440 The Crossings, Bowings, turnings of the body to the Alter. 1631 Widdowes Nat. Philos. 53 Griefe is his [Delight's] contrary, which is a turning from the hurtfull object. 1738 Swift Pol. Conversat. Introd. 17 Turnings of the Head, and motions of the Hands. 1825 Coleridge Aids Refl. (1884) 271 A turning of the thoughts exclusively to the so-called physical attributes. 1845 J. Coulter Adv. Pacific ix. 116 The seal cannot quickly turn, so you may..finish him..with a..sharp axe..; but be careful to watch his turning on you. |
† b. Phr.
turning of a hand = moment, instant (see
hand n. 60 f). So
turning of a straw.
Obs. (
Cf. quot. c 1425 for
turning about, in 12 below.)
| 1579 Tomson Calvin's Serm. Tim. 239/1 Y⊇ Christians are at euery turning of an hand, at the pits side. 1600 Holland Livy xxi. xiv. 401 Anniball..assailed the cittie, and wan it in the turning of an hand. 1679 J. Goodman Penit. Pard. ii. v. (1713) 236 In the turning of an hand a lewd and flagitious person starts up a great saint. 1755 Smollett Quix. (1803) IV. 224 Two thousand copies, that will fetch six rials a-piece in the turning of a straw. |
c. Obstetr. (See
quot. 1857.)
| 1857 Dunglison Med. Lex., Turning..Versio Fœtûs, the operation of bringing down the feet, or some part of the lower extremity, when the presentation of the child is such that it cannot be delivered by the natural efforts. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VII. 737 A labour necessitating the use of instruments or of turning. |
d. The practice of gymnastics according to the system of F. L. Jahn:
cf. turner1 8.
| 1888 U.S. Newspaper 17 Aug., Turning began at 10 o'clock. |
5. a. Reversal, inversion: as of soil, or other substance or object, for exposure to air; of a leaf of a book in reading; of an hour-glass; of a garment; of words in a sentence.
| 1536 MS. Rawl. D. 780 lf. 73 In the turnyng of tymbre in the tymber yard. 1538 Elyot Addit. Gg iij b/1 Anastrophe, a tournynge out of a commune order, as, Italiam contra, for contra Italiam. 1551 in Feuillerat Revels Edw. VI (1914) 53 The layenge abroade eyringe turnynge soinge mendinge..foldinge and layeng vp of the same. 1551 T. Wilson Logike (1580) 29 When I intreated of the conversion, or tournyng of Propositions. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 137 He hath turned his typpet an honest turnyng. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 56 By oft turning [of wheat] ye seeme to refresh it. 1581 Confer. iii. (1584) P j, After a little turning, he sayde, This is not the booke that I meant. 1726 G. Shelvocke Voy. round World 137 At the turning of every glass..we beat 3 ruffs on the drum. c 1830 Glouc. Farm. Rep. 14 in Libr. Usef. Knowl., Husb. III, It will be ready to carry in four or five days, with one turning. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 57 Peat..reduced..to a fine mould..by exposure to the air, and repeated turnings. 1844 Mrs. Browning Wine of Cyprus ix, Betwixt the folio's turnings, Solemn flowed the rhythmic Greek. |
b. A row of hay turned with the rake; a windrow.
local.
| 1795 Scots Mag. LVII. 304/2 [The hay] is again made into small rows called turnings. 1834 Brit. Husb. I. 491 It is turned with the rake-head, and is before noon raked into small rows, called ‘turnings’;..and in the evening of the same day, the rows are made into small ‘hay-cocks’. |
6. The action of bending or folding over, or condition of being folded over; a part of something folded over, a fold; in
quot. 1660, a curl, a volute.
| 1631 Weever Anc. Fun. Mon. 581 The forme of a Rose..: and in the turnings of the leaues this Inscription. 1660 H. Bloome Archit. E j, The middle Voluta hath a Circle..of one part, but the corner turning hath two parts. 1886 Girl's Own Paper 25 Dec. 202/3 All paper patterns..are of medium size... No turnings are allowed. 1894 Daily News 18 Sept. 6/4 Providing deep hems and turnings..for the days when the garments will be all too short. |
7. a. A change in the direction of movement or course; deflection, deviation; winding, tortuous course. Also
fig.| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 8666 Lyk a corde..Wythinne yt tourneth ofte aboute,..For cordys be sayd..Off offte tournynges in an herte. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xxv. 140 b, [The] riuers by the turning in their course haue made..many..yles. 1587 J. Harmar tr. Beza's Serm. i. 11 The diuers turnings and windings, by the which men wander and goe astray. 1617 Moryson Itin. i. 244 The Mountaine..was very high, but the way easie, with many turnings about the Mountaine. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) VI. 102 For 'tis of the making of Dunstable way, Plain without turning. 1751 C. Labelye Westm. Br. 25 This Bridge was built without turning of..the River. |
b. fig. of verse or melody; in
quot. a 1830, a refrain.
| 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal., Aug. 194 How I admire ech turning of thy verse. 1662 Playford Skill Mus. i. xi. (1674) 39 Those long Windings and Turnings of the Voice. a 1830 Yng. Musgrave xi. in Child Ballads II. 249/2 And aye the turning o the tune ‘Away, Musgrave, awa!’ |
8. A place or point where a road, path, etc. turns, or turns off. Also
fig.| c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame i. 182 In a forest..At a turnynge of a went How Creusa was y-loste allas. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 507/1 Turnynge, of dyuerse weyys, diverticulum. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. ii. ii. 43 Turne vpon your right hand at the next turning, but at the next turning of all on your left. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. III. 300 We discouered 32 Islands..hauing many turnings and windings betweene them, making many faire harboroughs and chanels. 1624 Bp. R. Montagu Immed. Addr. 125 God..knoweth the secrets, discouereth the boughts and turnings of the heart. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. 26 June, At the turning of a lane, that led to a village,..a couple of robbers a-horseback suddenly appeared. 1778– [see lane n. 1 b]. 1864 Burton Scot Abr. II. i. 110 About the turning of the 17{supt}{suph} into the 18{supt}{suph} century. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Quiet Neighb. vii. (1878) 121, I had not gone down more than three turnings [of the stairs]. |
9. Reversal of movement or course;
† return, going back (
obs.).
| c 1440 Gesta Rom. lxiv. 276 (Harl. MS.) In hire turnyng hom fro chirch. 1806 Scott Let. to Earl Dalkeith 11 Feb. in Lockhart, I abhor even the shadow of changing or turning with the tide. 1857 J. W. Croker in C. Papers 1 Feb. (1884) I. 83, I..never saw..so..complete a turning of the tide of victory. |
10. fig. Conversion; perversion; desertion to another side (
quot. 1665).
arch.| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4111 Thurgh his turnyng fra gode til ille. 1434 Misyn Mending Life 105 Of conuersyon or holy turnynge. 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 819/2 The turnyng to them selfe or to Lucifer was in it selfe a tourning from God. a 1555 Bradford in Coverdale Lett. Mart. (1564) 262 [The Lord] hath no pleasure in the death of a sinner: he rather wold our conversion and turning. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 544 More..that among all these turnings, would yet remain faithful to their Parties. |
11. Change; vicissitude; alteration.
| 1548 Elyot, Volubilitas...the turnyng of any thyng. 1617 Hieron Wks. II. 264 An abuse of Gods goodnesse, and a turning of His graces into wantonnesse. 1659 Hammond On Ps. lxix. 22 Annot. 342 Safe from the turnings of the World. 1689 in Acts Parlt. Scotl. (1875) XII. 71/1 The clause anent the turneing of this meetting into a parliament. |
12. With adverbs, corresponding to adverbial combinations of the verb in various senses (see
turn v. VIII), as
turning about,
turning again,
turning away,
turning back,
turning down,
turning in (also
attrib.),
turning off,
turning out (also
attrib.),
turning over,
turning round,
turning up (also
concr. a part turned up).
| c 1425 Cursor M. 23223 (Trin.) In *turnyng of þin honde aboute. 1570 Dee Math. Pref. C iv b, Two Wheles.., whose turnynges about in one and the same tyme [etc.]. 1663 Bp. Patrick Parab. Pilgr. xvii. (1687) 150 The converting and turning about of our minds and hearts to the original of our Being. |
| c 1400 Brut clxiii. 182 Þere was so miche presse of peple at the *turnyng aȝeyne. |
| 1382 Wyclif Prov. i. 32 The *turning awei of litle childer [1611 the turning away of the simple] shal slen hem. |
| 1552 Huloet, *Turnyng backe, vide in reuolucion. |
| 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 233 The end of an Iron Axis turned Square down, and again turned Square to the first *turning down. 1837 Mrs. Sherwood H. Milner iii. xv, A turning-down which contained the signature..of the epistle. |
| 1808 Lady's Econ. Assist. 5 The patterns are drawn, allowing for *turning in. 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., Turning-in, the process of strapping a dead-eye, that is, bending a rope tightly around it in the score. 1901 Daily Express 21 Mar. 6/5 The crew had gathered about the forecastle to smoke their turning-in pipe. |
| 1940 Amer. Speech XV. 247 He allows nobody else to have anything to do with the..tuning out (or the *turning-off) of the radio programs. 1973 Black Panther 5 May 2/1 It is hard to understand how any Oakland residents could have missed some exposure to the..campaign... But turning off can be a total thing. 1976 ‘W. Trevor’ Children of Dynmouth iv. 84 The abrupt turning-off of the kitchen radio, and the bang of the door. |
| 1711 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 22 May, This man has grown by persecutions, *turnings out, and stabbing. 1807–26 S. Cooper First Lines Surg. (ed. 8) 325 Ectropium. A turning out of the eyelids is so named. 1894 E. Banks Camp. Curiosity 29 You must turn out a room... On turning-out day, you must shake the rug, and scrub up the floor. |
| 1702 C. Mather Magn. Chr. vi. v. App. 38 It prov'd her own Father that was to be hang'd, at whose *Turning over, she thus cry'd out. 1842 Loudon Suburban Hort. 131 Picks..combine the operation of perforating with that of separating, breaking, loosening, and turning over. 1856 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XVII. i. 119 There is a quicker turning over of the farmer's capital. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 173 The heart executes an asymmetry of movement which gives rise to a sensation popularly known as turning over. |
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Buelta, a returne, turning away, *turning round, reditus, conuersio, auersio. 1690 Norris Beatitudes (1692) 159 The swiftest turnings round of a Globe look like standing still. 1966 M. R. D. Foot SOE in France viii. 190 Among [Pierre] de Vomécourt's achievements, this successful turning round again of Mme Carré stands second only to his indispensable contribution towards getting organized resistance going at all. |
| 1628 Earle Microcosm., Shee Precise Hypocrite (Arb.) 63 Her deuotion at the Church is much in the *turning vp of her eye. 1648 Hexham Dutch Dict. 11 Schoenen met tuyten, Shoes with turnings up. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing xxii. ¶1 He leaves no wrinckles in the turnings up [of the paper lining] against the sides of the Box. 1712 J. James tr. Le Blond's Gardening 166 Tillings, or second Turnings up of the Ground. 1844 Stephens Bk. Farm II. 95 The turning up of a fat sheep. 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., Turning-up (Bookbinding), taking the round out of the back, while the fore edge is cut. |
13. attrib. and
Comb., as (in sense 2)
turning-carrier,
turning-chisel,
turning-gauge,
turning-gouge,
turning-lathe,
turning-tool; also
turning circle, the smallest circle within which a ship, motor vehicle, etc., can be turned round completely;
turning-engine, (
a) a lathe (Knight
Dict. Mech. 1877); (
b) a small engine for turning over a large one slowly for inspection or adjustment (
Cent. Dict. Suppl. 1909);
turning-glass (see
quot.);
turning-loom, a lathe;
turning-machine,
-mill,
-piece (see
quots.);
turning-pin = turn-pin (
a) (see
turn-); also
attrib.;
turning-plate, (
a)
= turn-plate (
a): see
turn-; (
b) (see
quot. 1877);
turning radius, the radius of a turning circle;
turning-rest, a rest for a turning-tool, attached to a lathe, as a slide-rest (
Cent. Dict. 1891);
turning-saw, a saw with a narrow blade adapted for cutting in a curve, as a bow-saw, compass-saw, keyhole-saw, etc.;
turning-steel, a smooth round bar of steel used to turn the edge of a cutting instrument so as to give it a flanged form (
Cent. Dict. 1891);
† turning-tree, a gallows (
cf. turn v. 74 d, 78 f). See also next, 7, and
turning-evil, -point.
| 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., *Turning-carrier, a device for holding metallic work while being turned in the foot-lathe. |
| Ibid., *Turning-chisel, a chisel used by turners for finishing work after being roughed out by the gouge. 1881 Dickson Organ Build. i. 6 The usual turning-chisels and gouges. |
| 1903 Kipling Traffics & Discov. (1904) 39 The endurance, armament, *turning-circle, and inner gear of every ship in the British Navy. 1928 Motor Man. (ed. 27) 219 Turning circle, the minimum diameter of circle within which a car can be turned round completely. 1959 [see lock n.2 15 b]. 1963 Listener 21 Feb. 339/2, I cannot myself..accept the suggestion..that Admiral Tryon confused radius and diameter of the ship's turning circle... Diameter is so inseparable in the mind of a seaman with ‘turning circle’ that the phrase ‘turning circle’ is commonly and loosely used to mean its diameter. 1980 Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts July 513/2 The dimensions of a ship's turning circle vary approximately in proportion to ship's length. 1983 Sunday Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 20 Mar. 18 Although over three feet longer than the Golf, the Volvo's turning circle is seven inches smaller. |
| 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., *Turning-gage, an instrument to assist in setting over the tail-stock of the lathe, so that a given taper in a given length of work may be obtained. |
| 1902 Census Bulletin 216, 28 June 64 (Cent. Dict. Suppl.) After the negative [in half-tone engraving] is developed the film is stripped from the plate, reversed, and placed on another, called a *turning-glass, thus becoming a positive. |
| 1877 Knight Dict. Mech. s.v. Turning-tools, [description of figure] n, *turning-gouge. |
| 1794 Rigging & Seamanship I. 152 *Turning-lathe, a well known machine for turning. 1840 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. III. 175/2 An improved expanding mandrel for turning-lathes. 1879 R. S. Ball in Cassell's Techn. Educ. vii. 60 The turning-lathe..enables us to produce with perfect accuracy any surface of revolution. |
| a 1805 A. Carlyle Autobiog. (1860) 96 He said he would order his son.., who was a more powerful master of the *turning-loom than he was, to turn me a nice snuff-box or egg-cup. |
| 1849 E. Chamberlain Indiana Gazetteer 429 There are..one foundry and several *turning and carding machines, all driven by water. 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., Turning-machine, one for turning boot-legs after the seams have been sewn and rolled. |
| 1844 Knickerbocker XXIV. 184 The uplifted arm of Labor..meets his eye everywhere, in the paper-mill and grist-mill, and..*turning-mill. 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., Turning-mill, a form of horizontal lathe or boring-mill. |
| 1823 P. Nicholson Pract. Build. 595 *Turning-piece, a board with a circular edge, for turning a thin brick arch upon. |
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Vira, a *turning pin, a shaft, verticulum, subscus, sagitta. 1875 W. McIlwraith Guide Wigtownshire 43 This quern-stone..has three turning-pin holes in it. |
| 1797 J. Curr Coal Viewer 28 These *turning plates [in a cast iron rail road]. 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., Turning-plate, a circular plate above the front axle, where the bed moves upon it as the carriage turns from its direct course; a fifth-wheel. |
| 1967 Jane's Surface Skimmer Systems 1967–68 79/1 Characteristics... *Turning radius at cruising speed 1,640 ft (500 m). 1973 T. Pynchon Gravity's Rainbow i. 105 She's fed back who knows how many reams' worth of Most Secret flimsies.., squadron numbers, fueling stops, spin-recovery techniques and turning radii. |
| 1725 W. Halfpenny Sound Building 24 With a narrow *Turning-Saw cut directly thro' the Arch-Line. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 584 A compass-saw,..a key-hole-saw. Both of these..are called turning-saws, and have their plates thin and narrow towards their bottoms, and each succeeding tooth finer. |
| 1680 Moxon Mech. Exerc. x. 192 These Gouges (and..other *Turning Tools). |
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 224 b, She and her husband..were..hanged at the foresayd *turnyng tree. |
▪ II. ˈturning, ppl. a. [f. as prec. + -ing2.] That turns, in various senses of the verb.
1. That moves round, or so as to face another way; rotating, revolving, etc. (See also 7.)
| 1558 Knox First Blast (Arb.) 19 The turning wether cocke. 1629 Milton Ode Nativity, Hymn iii, Peace..came softly sliding Down through the turning sphear. 1700 Prior Carmen Seculare xxxiii, Practise them now to curb the turning Steed. |
2. Changing direction of movement or course; winding, sinuous; branching off, as a road or path.
| 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xvii. clxxiii. (W. de W.) 715 Of Thus set a fyr comyth a good smellynge smoke:..full meuable and tornynge and crokyd wyth many bendynges and wrynklynges. 1552 Huloet, Turnyng or wyndyng manye wayes lyke an eale, or snake, tortuosus. 1573–80 Baret Alv. T 439 A little lane, or turning path going out of the great or high waie, diuerticulum. 1590 Greene Orl. Fur. Wks. (Rtldg.) 96/2 And Rhodanus..flew with calm alongst his turning bounds. 1867 Trollope Chron. Barset II. liii. 98 Near a corner, where a turning path made an angle in the iron rails. 1879 Stevenson Trav. Cevennes (1892) 163 A deep turning gully in the hills. |
3. Mil. That turns an enemy's position.
| 1877 Daily News 30 Nov. 5/7 The cavalry of the turning column had captured their whole camp. 1912 Col. H. S. Massy in Standard 20 Sept. 7/2 Direct general attacks are not anticipated, but wide turning movements..will be the chief aim. |
4. Reversing its course; beginning to go back.
In
quot. 1601 as rendering of
Gr. τροπικός (see
tropic).
| 1601 Dolman La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618) III. 686 These circles are nominated Tropickes, that is, turning or conuertiue. 1857 W. A. Butler Serm. iv. 98 Turning with the turning tide. |
5. Changing, changeful, variable.
Obs. or
arch.| c 1450 Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.) 78/202 Love..vertu,..Which dowble Fortune may neuer tak þe fro: Than mayst þou boldly desire her tornyng chance. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iii. vi. 35 Fortune..is painted..with a Wheele, to signifie..that shee is turning and inconstant. |
6. With adverb (
cf. turn v. VIII), as
turning-up.
| 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Tornatiles, turning vp, aduncus. 1841 Mrs. Grey Lit. Wife xxix, I won't let them come into this room, with all their sneers, and turning-up noses. |
7. In combinations or special collocations:
turning-beam, an axle-tree (
cf. turn-beam,
turn-);
turning-box, a kind of turn-table;
turning bridge,
= turn-bridge (see
turn-);
turning pitch Cricket, a pitch on which the ball turns or deviates on delivery;
† turning platform,
= turntable 1;
turning plough,
= turn-plough (see
turn-);
† turning-stile = turnstile;
turning-table = turntable;
† turning-wheel, (
a) a turnstile or similar device; (
b) an apparatus consisting of a rapidly revolving wheel (see
quot.).
| 1766 Compl. Farmer s.v. Madder, Another axle-tree, or *turning-beam,..ten inches square near the trundle-head, and fourteen inches diameter in its octogonal part. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Tour,..the open *turning box in the wall of a Nunnerie, whereby the sisters..receiue in, and deliuer out, commodities. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas i. xiv. ¶2, I besought the attendant at the turning-box to tell the lady. |
| 1840 Evid. Hull Docks Comm. 39 Q. Are those bridges all draw⁓bridges? A. Yes, draw or *turning bridges. |
| 1956 N. Cardus Close of Play 31 Parkin had no superior at off-breaks on a *turning pitch. 1959 Listener 19 Mar. 516/1 Slow and turning pitches. |
| 1825 Tredgold Railroads & Carriages 121 *Turning platforms for changing the direction of a carriage. |
| 1850 in J. A. Turner Cotton Planter's Man. (1865) 118 Many planters here say they scrape with the *turning-plough as well. 1868 Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869) 414 The field was plowed with a turning plow, followed in the same furrow with a long bull-tongue plow. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Tour,..a Turnepike, or *Turning-stile. |
| 1839 Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl. II. 202/2 Some method of turning..trains more efficiently than the common *turning-table. 1843 Borrow Bible in Spain vi. 39 A kind of window occupied by a turning table, at which articles were received into the convent, and delivered out. |
| 1671 Woodhead St. Teresa ii. 274 [Knocks] given by some Body at the *turning-wheel of the Vestry. 1734 tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) VI. xv. vi. 91 They warded off..the darts..by the assistance of turning-wheels. |
Hence
ˈturningness,
rare (in
quot. fig. tortuous character, as
opp. to ‘straightforwardness’).
| a 1586 Sidney Arcadia ii. (1622) 135 So had nature formed him, and the exercise of craft conformed him to all turningnesse of sleights. |