turnspit
(ˈtɜːnspɪt)
[f. turn v. + spit n.; cf. turnbroach.]
1. A dog kept to turn the roasting-spit by running within a kind of tread-wheel connected with it; a turnspit dog. Also fig.
| 1576 Fleming tr. Caius' Dogs (1880) 35 A certaine dogge..when any meate is to bee roasted they go into a wheele..turning rounde about with the waight of their bodies... Whom the popular sort herevpon call Turnespets. a 1619 Fletcher Mad Lover iii. ii, Get thee to school again, and talk of turnspits. 1793 [E. D. Clarke] Tour S. Eng. iv. 215 Dogs are universally used, in this part of the world, as turnspits. 1801 G. Hanger Life II. 246 These turnspits, who, in the metaphysical wheel, turn the spit of conjecture. 1863 Jesse in Chambers Bk. Days 8 Apr. I. 490/1 His two turn⁓spits..were long-bodied, crook-legged, and ugly dogs. |
2. A boy or man whose office was to turn the spit. Also used as a term of
contempt.| 1607 Puritan i. ii. 3 As hot as a turn-spit. 1683 Roxb. Ball. (1885) V. 455 Fat Turnspit Frank,..Whom we despise, in time may rise to be Jester to King Perkin. 1723 Swift French Dog Wks. 1755 IV. i. 36 A turn-spit in the royal kitchen. 1802–12 Bentham Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827) II. 139 The King's turnspit used to be a member of parliament. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas ii. i. ¶5 Leonarda..passed for a very decent plain cook; but a mere turnspit to dame Jacintha. 1869 Blackmore Lorna D. v, All good people..knowing his kitchen range to be cold, no longer would play turnspit. |
3. A roasting-jack.
rare.
| 1606 Chapman Gent. Usher iii. i, Euen as in a turne-spit calld a Iacke..the great wheeles, Turning but softly, make the lesse to whirre. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Turn⁓spit, a clock-work machine for cooking. |
4. attrib., as
turnspit-boy,
turnspit cur,
turnspit dog,
turnspit-jack,
turnspit terrier.
| 1820 Scott Monast. xiv, A little dirty *turnspit-boy. |
| 1603 Harsnet Pop. Impost. xxii. 145 Moved..as a Wheele is by a *turnspit curre, that is put into it. |
| 1625 N. Carpenter Geog. Del. i. iv. (1635) 81 *Turne-spit-dogs labouring in their wheeles. a 1704 T. Brown Laconics Wks. 1711 IV. 14 Seeing one of the Turn-spit Dogs bask himself in the Sun. 1845 Youatt Dog ii. 18 Colonel Sykes says..among the pariahs is frequently found the turnspit-dog. |
| 1674 Petty Disc. Dupl. Proportion 39 In any good *Turnspit-Jack,..a quadruple weight makes double Velocity. |
| 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i. iii, Toby the *turnspit terrier. |