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Glite Dictionary
three-point turn

three-point turn

1 3.7
A driving move that turns a car around in a small space
  • noun
  • /θriː pɔɪnt tɜrn/
translation icon : maniobra de tres puntos
  • Joseph executed a clean three-point turn and headed back down to the road, unaware that he'd come to my rescue by providing a well-timed diversion.
  • execute a three-point turn
  • make a three-point turn

It's like my Nana trying to do a a three-point turn.

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Examples

  • How can you do a three-point turn in one of those?

  • You're not even making me do any yucky three-point turns?

    Cow Belles (2006)

  • He made a three-point turn and backtracked.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • It spun around, executed a three-point turn, and chugged toward a graffiti-covered bridge nearby.

    Blog text (15)

  • He deliberates, then throws the Cherokee in reverse and does a three-point turn so he's facing back in the opposite direction.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • To turn the car around in the narrow street, she had to make a three-point turn carefully.

  • During the driving lesson, the instructor demonstrated how to perform a three-point turn to efficiently change directions.

  • After practicing my three-point turn, I felt more confident about passing my driving test.

Synonyms

turn
vsthree-point turn
485 1.0

A change of direction in a road or path

is a specific staged vehicle method using forward and reverse moves in tight space
turnaround
vsthree-point turn
8 4.4

A place where vehicles change direction to go back

is the specific multi-step vehicle technique for turning in tight spaces
to about-face
vsthree-point turn
  • US
1 6.1

To turn quickly to face the other way

uses staged forward and reverse moves for tight spaces not a sudden spin
about turn
vsthree-point turn
  • Jargon
1 5.8

A complete change of direction or opinion, often sudden

is the driving sequence used in tight civilian spaces not a drill command
u-turn
vsthree-point turn
3.2

A complete turn to go the opposite way, like a car on the road

uses repeated forward and reverse moves for tight spaces

Surface Forms

three-point turn singular
three-point turns plural

Morphology

three-point + turn

The phrase is transparently descriptive: 'three-point' signals 'involving three points/stages' and 'turn' is an act of turning, so a learner who knows 'three', 'point' and 'turn' can infer it denotes a turn made in three maneuvers. This is a compositional, literal driving description (rather than an idiom) and follows straightforward English compounding, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.

Etymology

Three-point turn comes from a simple driving move with three stops or 'points': go forward, go back, then go forward again so the car ends facing the other way. That's why the name means 'to turn around' in a small space.