Forms: 5–8 tyret, teret(t, tyrret, 6 tyrette, 7 tirret, terriet, 9 terret, -it. See also TORRET. [In 15th c. teret, tyret, collateral form of toret, a. OF. toret, touret, dim. of OF. tor (12th c.), tour a round, circuit, circumference: see TOUR. The phonetic change from toret, turet to teret, tyret is unusual.] General sense: A round or circular loop or ring, esp. one turning on a swivel, by which a string, ribbon, or chain is attached to anything.
a. A ring on a dog’s collar, by which a string can be attached, etc.
[1376–7. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 387. In uno lese et uno pare de turetteis pro domino de Hilton.
c. 1386: see TORRET].
1530. Palsgr., 281/2. Tyrettes for a grayhoundes coller, boucclettes.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 186/2. The Grey-hound, hath his Collar, and the Spaniel hath his Terriet.
b. Each of the two rings by which the leash is attached to the jesses of a hawk.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Hawking, b v b. The lewnes shulde be fastened to theym [jesses] with a payre of tyrettis [ed. 1496 tyrrettys] wich tyrettis shuld rest vppon the lewnes, and not vppon the gesses, for hyngyng and fastynyng vppon trees when she flyeth…. The terettys serue to kepe hir from wyndyng whan she backes.
[1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., I. ii. § 9 [from Bk. St. Albans]. The lunes, or small thongs of leather, might be fastened to them [the jesses] with two tyrrits, or rings.]
c. A ring or the like by which any object can be attached to a chain; = TORRET c.
1515. in Carte, Life of Ormonde (1736), I. Introd. 43. A white horn of ivory, garnished at both the ends with gold and corse thereunto of white silk barred with barres of gold and a tyret of gold thereupon.
1570–80. Fabric Rolls York Minster (Surtees), 118. For making a tyrret and a rynge of yron to the masons well buckett, 10d. [Ibid. (1586–7), 119. For a lowpe for the mason well buckett, 4d.]
[1900. J. T. Fowler, Lett. to Editor. The ring by which the chain is attached to a watch is now called the ‘torret’ or ‘turret,’ but the word is going out, and they call it the ‘bow.’]
d. In horse-harness, One of the two (brass) rings fixed upright on the pad, or saddle, and on the hames, through which the driving reins pass. Also, any ring attached elsewhere to the harness for a similar purpose, as a head-terret: see quot. 1794.
[1429: see TORRET.]
1724. Bailey, Tyrets, Ornaments for Horse-Harness.
1794. Felton, Carriages (1801), II. 144. The Territs are what screws in the saddle, or housing, for the reins to run through…. A short territ is often fixed at the top of a bridle, called a head-territ, for the leading-reins to go through.
1840. New Monthly Mag., LX. 173. I saw a leader’s rein break halfway between the head-terret of the wheeler and the pad-terret of the leader.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 358/2. ‘I … found I could make my pad territs’ (the round loops of the harness pad, through which the reins are passed), ‘my hooks, my buckles, my ornaments…, as well as any man.’
Hence Terreted († tereted, tirr-, tyrr-) a., provided or fitted with a terret.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 55 b. Three Greyhoundes cursante, of the Moone, with colours Rubie, studded and tereted, Solis.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, IV. xi. (1611), 218. Three greyhounds collars argent edged studded and tyrretted or.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xvi. (Roxb.), 76/2. A dog collar,… edged, studded and Tirretted.
