turret

Meaning

1. A little tower, frequently a merely ornamental structure at one of the corners of a building or castle.
2. (historical) A siege tower; 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. A tower-like solder post on a turret board (a circuit board with posts instead of holes).
4. An armoured, rotating gun installation on a fort, ship, aircraft, or armoured fighting vehicle.
5. The elevated central portion of the roof of a passenger car, with sides that are pierced for light and ventilation.
6. A turret head.

Synonyms

tower

gun turret

gun enclosure

pinnacle

pepperbox

projection

pulpit

rampart

scaffold

watchtower

revolving head

bastion

corner tower

belvedere

capstan

lookout

Translations

tourelle

torretta

tour

torreón

turricula

pantserkoepel

torreta

Turm

Gefechtsturm

Türmchen

Geschützturm

Revolverkopf

πυργίσκος

geschutskoepel

Panzerturm

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtʌɹ.ɪt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: touret

In summary

From Middle English touret, from Old French torete (French tourette), diminutive of tour (“tower”), from Latin turris. Doublet of tor, tourelle, and tower. See tower.