Turnback
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Part of a garment that is turned back. attributive, countable, uncountable
- 2 The turning back of a weaver around another element. countable, uncountable
"Most basketmakers make their turnbacks in a particular section of the weaving on the sides or in the middle of the basket."
- 3 The act of turning back a boat containing immigrants. countable, uncountable
"The information commissioner, Professor John McMillan, ruled that requests for watch officer logs and authorisations for turnbacks were exempt from release because they could have a “substantial adverse effect” on the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS)."
- 4 The strap from the hames to the hip-strap, on a horse. countable, uncountable
- 5 A place, e.g. on a railway, where vehicles can reverse direction, i.e. turn back. countable, uncountable
"Removal of one set of train turnbacks also makes more efficient use of infrastructure and reduces peak loads at interchange stations."
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- 6 A cadet at a military academy who fails a class and has to retake it. US, countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Most basketmakers make their turnbacks in a particular section of the weaving on the sides or in the middle of the basket."
Etymology
Deverbal from turn back.
Related phrases
More for "turnback"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.