Sentence:  Turbines have been around for a long time—windmills and water wheels are early examples. The name comes from the Latin "turbo", meaning "vortex", and thus the defining property of a turbine is that a fluid or gas <WSD>turns</WSD> the blades of a rotor, which is attached to a shaft that can perform useful work. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.