Turret

English

Noun

Turret (plural Turrets)

1. (architecture) A little tower, frequently a merely ornamental structure at one of the corners of a building or castle.
2. (historical, military) A movable building, of a square form, consisting of ten or even twenty stories and sometimes one hundred and twenty cubits high, usually moved on wheels, and employed in approaching a fortified place, for carrying soldiers, engines, ladders, casting bridges, and other necessaries.
3. (military) An armoured, rotating gun installation, on a fort, ship, aircraft, or armoured fighting vehicle.
4. (rail transport) The elevated central portion of the roof of a passenger car. Its sides are pierced for light and ventilation.

Synonyms

• (military): cupola

Thesaurus

antenna tower, barbican, belfry, bell tower, campanile, colossus, column, cupola, derrick, dome, fire tower, lantern, lighthouse, martello, martello tower, mast, minaret, monument, obelisk, observation tower, pagoda, pilaster, pillar, pinnacle, pole, pylon, pyramid, shaft, skyscraper, spire, standpipe, steeple, stupa, television mast, tope, tour, tower, water tower, windmill tower

Pronunciation

• enPR: tŭr'ət, IPA: /ˈtʌrət/, SAMPA: /"tVr@t/
• Rhymes: -ʌrət

Etymology

From Old English touret, Old French tourette, diminutive of tour a tower, Latin turris. See tower

Translations

A little tower

A movable building

A revolving tower constructed of thick iron plates

Finnish: tykkitorni (fi)

The elevated central portion of the roof of a passenger car

Derived terms

• turret clock
• turret head
• turret lathe
• turret ship

Anagrams

• rutter