turret

noun

tur·​ret ˈtər-ət 

ˈtə-rət,

ˈtu̇r-ət 

1

: a little tower

specifically : an ornamental structure at an angle of a larger structure

2

a(1)

: a revolving armored structure on a warship that protects one or more guns mounted within it

(2)

: a similar upper structure usually for one gun on a tank

(3)

: a gunner's fixed or movable enclosure in an airplane

b

: a tall building usually moved on wheels and formerly used for carrying soldiers and equipment for breaching or scaling a wall

3

a

: a pivoted and revolvable holder in a machine tool

b

: a device (as on a microscope or a television camera) holding several lenses

Examples of turret in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The castle has seven grand pianos, nineteen balconies, six turrets, and twenty-three chaise longues. —Weike Wang, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Some of the Batmobile features include 525 horsepower, imitation gun turrets, a smokescreen delivery system, and weighs 5,500 pounds. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Surrounding the abbey is a steep hillside village and a stone wall with turrets. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2024

While the adults sip on Irish whiskey by the fireplace, the kids are busy constructing their own version of Ashford Castle (with turrets, of course). —Jordi Lippe-McGraw, Forbes, 28 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English touret, from Anglo-French turette, tourette, diminutive of tur, tour tower — more at tower

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

turret

noun

tur·​ret ˈtər-ət  ˈtə-rət 

tu̇r-ət

1

: a little tower often at a corner of a building

2

: a low usually rotating structure (as in a tank, warship, or airplane) in which guns are mounted