Forms: α. 4–6 turet, 5 -ete (6 pl. -ettes, Sc. -ettis, -etis), 5–6 Sc. -at(e (pl. -atis, -attis), 6 turryt, -ite, Sc. turit, turrat, 6–8 turrit, 7 Sc. turrett, 5– turret (pl. 4–6 -ettes, Sc. 5 -ettis, 6 -etis). β. 4–5 (7–8 Hist.) touret, 5–6 -ette (pl. Sc. -ettis), tourrett (pl. -ettes), towrette (pl. -ettis, -ys), 6–7 towret, 8 tourett. γ. 4–5 toret, 5–8 torret (5 pl. torettes, -is, torrettes). δ. 6 territ, 6–7 -et, -ett (pl. -ettes), 7 tirritt. [ME. turet, toret, tourette, a. OF. torete, tourete (12th c. in Godef.), later tourette (still in 17th c.), dim. of tur, tor, tour fem., TOWER; cf. mod. It. torretta, dim. of torre:—L. turris (to the influence of which the current spelling turret may be due).
The slightly earlier toret, torret, occurring in the S. Eng. Leg., I. 300/15 and in R. Glouc. (Rolls), 3625 in the sense of ‘summit’ of a hill, is app. not identical with this word, but ad. OF. turet (still in Artois dial.), var. of turel (later and now dial. tureau) eminence, hill.]
1. A small or subordinate tower, usually one forming part of a larger structure; esp. a rounded addition to an angle of a building, sometimes commencing at some height above the ground, and freq. containing a spiral staircase.
α. 13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 7306 + xxi. 1. To a turet sir Gij is went, And biheld þat firmament.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 42. Ane ciete … With torris and turatis.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VIII. 1014. A ryoll sted … With turrettis fayr.
1555. Watreman, Fardle of Facions, I. vi. 89. The gentlemen … haue neither cities nor townes, but Turrettes builte vpon the waters side.
1670. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 37. An Elephant with a turret upon his backe. Ibid., 40. He raised an high turret, out of which … there might blaze all night long, lights and fires for the better direction of ships at sea.
1644. Evelyn, Diary, 17 Nov. Another wall full of small turrets.
1765. Foote, Commissary, III. (1782), 48. The large brick house … with a turrit at top.
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., I. iii. 17. He perceived the turrets of an ancient chateau rising out of the trees of its walled park.
1861. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 45. Thick walls and turrets at the angles gave the whole the aspect … of a fortress.
transf. 1671. Phil. Trans., VI. 2265. By a new Earth-quake the Top or Turret of Mount Ætna … fell in.
β. 13[?]. Coer de L., 3969. The Sarezynes, armyd, forth lepe Upon the walles the toun to kepe, Stout in touret, and in hurdys.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4164. He hired hem to make a tour…. And rounde enviroun eek were set Ful many a riche and fair touret.
1481. Caxton, Godeffroy, ccvii. 303. They were so pour and so greued of tayllages and excises, that vnnethe they had among them alle wherof to repayre two towrettys.
1545. Joye, Exp. Dan. i. 13. It was dowble walled with many highe and strong towrets.
1633. Stow’s Surv., 7/1. The wals of [London], which were sore decayed, and destitute of Towres and Towrets, to be repaired.
1736. McUre, Hist. Glasgow, 256. The Town-house or Tolbooth … has Four large Touretts on the Corners thereof.
γ. a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1418 (Ashm.). Sum … Tilt torettis [v.r. torrettes] doun, toures on hepis.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 329. In a litel toret his brother lay i-steke.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 497/1. Toret, lytylle towre, turricula.
1648. J. Raymond, Il Mercurio Italico, 129. An ancient Torret, built halfe of solid Marble.
δ. a. 1600. Hymn, ‘Hierusalem my happie home,’ viii., in Julian, Dict. Hymnology (1907), 580/2. Thy terrettes and thy pinacles.
c. 1618. Moryson, Itin. (1903), 335. Germany aboundes with Copper, wherewith many Cittyes have Terretts steeples and whole Churches Covered.
1643. Mrs. Thornton, Autobiog. (Surtees), 33. The window sudainly shutt with such a force the whole tirritt shooke.
b. In Heraldry: see quots.
1766–87. Porny, Heraldry Gloss, Turret, a small Tower. Turreted, having Turrets on the top.
c. 1828. Berry, Encycl. Her., I. Gloss., Turret, a small tower on the top of another.
1868. Cussans, Her., vii. (1882), 123. Turret: a small tower commonly set upon a Castle.
1894. Parker’s Gloss. Her., s.v. Tower, The tower is … frequently represented as bearing three smaller towers or turrets, and then it is blazoned triple towered, or triple turretted…. The … turret is sometimes used alone, separate from the tower, and can only be represented as a smaller tower.
† c. fig. Highest point or position, height, acme. Obs.
1593. Tell-Troth’s N. Y. Gift (1876), 36. We thinke we are neuer at the territ of delight.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. (1634), 111. Jupiter, whom the Greekes have seated in the top and highest Turret of their Divinitie.
1680. T. Lawson, Mite into Treasury, 11. Mounted to the Terret of Philosophick Elevations, and to the Zenith of Scholastick Notions.
2. Mil. † a. = TOWER sb.1 5 a. Obs. rare–1.
1563. Golding, Cæsar, II. (1565), 62. When they saw … the mount raysed and a turret a buylding a farre of,… they began to laugh at it.
b. A low flat armor-plated tower, commonly cylindrical or conical, on a ship of war or a fort, made to contain a gun and gunners, and usually to revolve horizontally.
1862. Capt. P. Coles, in Times, 5 Nov. I obtained permission … to substitute in the ‘Prince Albert’ three turrets, each carrying one 300-pounder.
1869. Sir E. Reed, Iron-Clad Ships, Introd. 16. The ‘Monarch’ … with 25-ton guns mounted in turrets.
1887. Spectator, 30 July, 1019/1. The ‘Inflexible’ … with four 80-ton guns in her turrets.
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., xiv. 143. The plan of placing the guns in revolving towers or turrets.
1897. H. W. Wilson, in United Service Mag., July, 351. The distinction between turret and barbette is this; the turret is an armoured shelter revolving with the gun; the barbette an armoured shelter inside which the gun revolves on a turn-table.
3. Applied to various things resembling a small tower. † a. A high head-dress formerly worn by women (obs.). † b. A tall chimney on a lamp (obs.). c. A raised central portion in the roof of a railway passenger carriage (U.S.).
1473–4. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 29. i1/2 elne of satyne for turatis to the Quene.
1578. Inv. Roy. Wardr. (1815), 231. Ane hude and ane turit of quheit velvot.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 373. Take a Turreted Lampe of Tinne,… The Height of the Turret being thrice as much, as the length of the lower part, whereupon the Lampe standeth.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Turret … 3. (Railway.) The elevated central portion of a passenger-car, whose top forms an upper story of the roof, and whose sides are glazed for light and pierced for ventilation.
4. An attachment to a lathe, drill, or similar machine, consisting of a round or polygonal block with sockets for various dies or cutting tools, and capable of being rotated (cf. 2 b) so as to present the required tool to the work.
1875. [see turret-lathe in 5].
5. attrib. and Comb., as (sense 1) turret-bell, -bridge, -chamber, -clock, -door, -roof, -room, -stair, -top; turret-like, -shaped, -topped adjs.; (sense 2 b) turret armor, -gun, gunner; turret-turning adj.; also turret-crown, a turreted crown (see TURRETED 2 a); turret-deck: see quot. 1909 (also attrib.); turret head = sense 4; turret-lathe, a lathe fitted with a turret (sense 4); turret-shell = TURRITELLID; turret-ship, a ship of war with a turret (sense 2 b); turret-spider, a spider that constructs a turret-like nest, as the N. American Lycosa arenaria; turret-vessel = turret-ship; turret-window = tower-window (TOWER sb.1 10).
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., xiv. 144. The side and *turret armour was made up of two thicknesses.
c. 1800. R. Cumberland, John De Lancaster (1809), III. 3. The *turret-bell gave the signal of an arrival.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VII. 990. Schir Jhon the Grayme, and Ramsay … The *turat bryg segyt.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xx[i]v. A step was heard on the stair, and the door of the *turret chamber slowly opened. Ibid. (1821), Kenilw., xviii. Immured for day and night in a desolate turret-chamber.
c. 1820. S. Rogers, Italy (1839), 52. An hour and more, by the old *turret-clock.
1884. F. J. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 8. De Vick … made for Charles V of France the first turret clock of which we have reliable record.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 525. Oft he [the serpent] bowd His *turret Crest.
1886. Conder, Syrian Stone-Lore, vii. (1896), 235. Jerusalem herself, with *turret-crown, appears on another [coin].
1904. Westm. Gaz., 10 Oct., 9/1. Rules for the construction of *turret-deck steamers.
1909. Cent. Dict. Supp., s.v. Deck, In a special British design of cargo-steamer,… the side, instead of meeting the main deck rectangularly, is rounded off so as to make a continuous curved surface with the deck. Inboard of this the side is again curved up. The space between the sides at the top is covered by a narrow deck called the turret-deck.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, iii. The form of the huge and substantial Fleming at length issued from the *turret-door.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Turret-gun, one specially adapted for use in revolving turrets of vessels.
1870. Daily News, 27 Sept. The *turret-gunner stands with his head through a hole in the roof of the turret.
1884. Knight, Dict. Mech., Supp., *Turret Head, the revolving head of a bolt cutter. Ibid. (1875), *Turret-lathe..., a screw-cutting lathe having a slide provided with a polygonal block or turret, having apertures in each face for receiving dies which are secured therein by set-screws.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac. (1738), II. 253. Like … old reverend Cybele,… on her head a *turret-like attire.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, I. i. The warder … Hears, upon *turret-roof and wall, By fits the plashing rain-drop fall. Ibid. (1822), Pirate, xxxi. A great banqueting-hall, communicating with several large rounds, or projecting *turret-rooms.
1844. Marg. Fuller, Wom. 19th C. (1862), 362. Two vast towers of rock with *turret-shaped tops.
1859–62. Sir J. Richardson, etc., Mus. Nat. Hist. (1868), II. 339. The family of *Turret or Screw shells (Turritellidæ).
1862. Capt. P. Coles, in Times, 22 Nov. [The idea] that broadside ships can … effectively work these ponderous guns against *turret ships.
1880. Daily News, 18 Dec. The trials of the eighty-ton guns on board the turret ship Inflexible.
1883. Science, 13 July, 43/2. A species of ground spider … known as the *turret spider.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xx[i]v. Slowly and with difficulty she descended the *turret stair.
1886. Willis & Clark, Cambridge, II. 573. An external turret-stair on the north side.
1866. Capt. Coles & the Admiralty, 9. Captain Coles is not the inventor of the *turret system at all … the turret itself belongs to Ericsson.
c. 1800. R. Cumberland, John De Lancaster (1809), III. 115. The whole Castle garrison [turned out] from their sky-chambers on the *turret tops.
1892. E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 271. The outside walls … are of the plain, one story, level, *turret-topped … style.
1889. Welch, Text Bk. Naval Archit., xiv. 143. The parts immediately underneath turrets must be protected by armour in order to shield the *turret-turning gear.
1862. Capt. P. Coles, in Times, 5 Nov. A sea-going *turret vessel.
1870. O. H. Stokes, in Eng. Mech., 7 Jan., 396/3. In a turret vessel, the whole of the deck, ‘exclusive of that part which is occupied by the turrets,’ is exposed to the fire of the enemy.
1603. Rites of Durham (Surtees, 1903), App. 110. 3 white *turrett wyndowes.
1823. Scott, Quentin D., iv. Little turret-windows,… the lattice … half open to admit the air.
