turn aside

English

Verb

turn aside (third-person singular simple present turns aside, present participle turning aside, simple past and past participle turned aside)

1. (intransitive) To avert one's gaze
2. (transitive, intransitive) To ignore (something) or turn a blind eye (to something)
   • 1842, Westland Marston, Gerald: A Dramatic Poem, page 134:

     I turn aside — I turn aside From Strangers' mirth and glee;

3. (transitive) To turn away; to refuse to let someone in
4. (transitive) To divert or move out of the way.
   • 1838, Robert Sandeman, Letters on Theron and Aspasio: Addressed to the Author, page 162:

     Behind this curtain is the most sacred recess of philosophic mysteries, therefore, it does not become unhallowed persons on common occasions to approach it, far less to turn it aside, in order to look in. Philosophers themselves , the mystagogues in the temple of decorum, must approach it with reverence, and after all are allowed only to turn it aside a very little .

   • 1872, William Robertson Aikman, The Fountain of Israel, page 33:

     Moreover, as Lord of providence, it would cost him nothing so to overrule the course of events, as either to turn aside the current of temptation, or altogether neutralize its power upon the heart.

   • 2015, Maffeo Poinsot, Encyclopedia of Occult Scienses:

     As to the evil eye, most Italians firmly believe in it, and to turn it aside use a little horn of coral and turn it point forward towards any one who “casts the evil eye," muttering the word "corna."

5. To reject; to resist or refuse to aid.
   • 1826, Martin Luther, Select Works of Martin Luther, page 72:

     For to turn aside from God, and to say in the heart, " There is no God," are one and the same thing;

   • 1851, Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Epistles of Paul to the Ephesians, page 205:

     And this is especially true of Christians, who, whatever may be said of others, cannot plead that there was not power sufficient to meet the temptation, or to turn aside its power.

   • 2018, Christopher A. Faraone, The Transformation of Greek Amulets in Roman Imperial Times, page 194:

     Sovereign gods, hinder, turn aside from this property and from the crops growing in it— among the grapevines, among the olive trees, among the seeded places—hail, rust, the anger of Typhonian winds, swarm of deadly locusts... as long as these stones engraved with your sacred names are here lying about the land.

6. To alter one's course or activity.
   • 1895, Rudyard Kipling, The Second Jungle Book:

     Hathi will not turn aside for the Striped One. Yet Hathi and the Striped One together turn aside for the dhole, and the dhole they say turn aside for nothing.

   • 1904, Robert Shaw, Sketch of the Religions of the World, page 77:

     In his surprise Moses said to himself, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight why the bush is not burned. And, when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said Moses, Moses.

   • 1905, Edgar Charles Sumner Gibson, The Book of Job, page 32:

     To this Davidson objects that it is not usual for caravans to leave the route and "turn aside" in search of water, a route is selected and formed rather because water is found on it.

   • 2011, James K. Aitken, Katharine J. Dell, Brian A. Mastin, On Stone and Scroll: Essays in Honour of Graham Ivor Davies, page 321:

     Having reached the vicinity of his chosen destination, however, Sisera hesitates to proceed further. Only after ]ael has come out to meet him, exhorted him to ”turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me” (emphasis added), and further reassured him ("have no fear") does Sisera "turn aside to her, into the tent" (v. 18, emphasis added).