Turkey

Turkey¹
  (ˈtɜːkɪ)
  Also 5 torke, 6–7 Turkie, 6–8 Turky, (5–7 Turkye, 6 torkey, Turquey, Turkeye, 7 Tyrkye).
  [= F. Turquie, med.L. Turchia, Turquia, f. Turc, Turc-us, Turk n.¹: cf. Germān-us, Germānia, Germany; Indus, India.]
  1. The land of the Turks, ‘Turkey in Asia’ and ‘Turkey in Europe’; formerly sometimes Turkestan or Tartary.

c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 1026 Ne sende men in-to Walakye,..To Alisaundre, ne in-to Turkye. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 1435 Þer is þe lond of torke. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xxxiii. 61 A fedrem on he tuke..in Turky for to fle. 1570 Levins Manip. 98/45 Turkie, Tartaria. 1626 Bacon Sylva §49 Rice is in Turky..most fed upon. 1719 W. Wood Surv. Trade 180 The Turkey Company..have Factories and Houses in Turkey. 1892 Chamb. Encycl. X. 329 Turkey or the Ottoman Empire comprises the wide but heterogeneous territories really or nominally subject to the Osmânlî sultan, in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

  † 2. Short for a. Turkey stone, the turquoise; b. Turkey horse (cf. Turki); c. Turkey leather.

a. 1487 Ann. Barber-Surgeons Lond. (1890) 530, I bequeath to my mother my golde ringe which hath in it a stone called a Turkey. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxxviii. (Percy Soc.) 197 Of the mervaylous rofe set full of rubyes, And tynst with saphers and many turkeys. 1577 E. Hogan in Hakluyt Voy. (1589) 158 A short dagger set with 200 stones, rubies, and turkies. 1587 Greene Tritameron Wks. (Grosart) III. 59 The Turkie hauing lost his color is of no value. 1592 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) II. 204 To my daughter Gee my Turkey ringe. 1595 Ibid. 168 My goulde ringe wherein my turkie is. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 221 They haue [in Cyprus]..diuerse kinds of precious stones of inferiour value, amongst which the emerald, and the turky. c 1618 Moryson Itin. iv. iv. i. (1903) 335 Three ringes on his fingers, a Dyamond, a Turky, and a Ruby. 1680 Morden Geog. Rect. (1685) 358 There are Mines of..divers Kinds of precious Stones, viz. the Emerald and the Turky.

b. 1678 Extracts Govt. Rec. Fort St. George 6 Mar. (Yule), Four horses bought for the Company—One young Arab, One old Turkey [etc.].

c. 1715 Hearne's Collect. (O.H.S.) V. 66 One in large paper, bound in Turkey. 1721 Ramsay Conclusion 4 Dear, vent'rous book..In gilded Turkey clad. 1835 J. R. Smith's Catal. Bks. Nov. 8/2 Life of the Famous Comedian, Joe Hayns,..in old turkey, very scarce.

  3. attrib. and Comb. a. Simple attrib.; now mostly superseded by Turkish, except in particular connexions, as in Turkey Company, Turkey merchant.

a 1518 Skelton Magnyf. 1480 Porcenya, the prowde prouoste of Turky lande. 1543 Rutland MSS. (1905) IV. 346, v long table carpettes of Turky makyng, j fote carpet of Turky makyng. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII 6 b, Appareled after Turkey fashion. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iv. xiii. 126 b, A fair Turkie horse. Ibid. xvi. 130 b, [They] are not permitted to print the Turkie or Arabian tongue. 1651 Howell Venice 134 They had taken some Turky Vessells in the Venetian Seas. 1690 Child Disc. Trade (1698) 118 The Turkey-Company do maintain an Ambassador and two Consuls. 1817 Byron Beppo xcvii, He..pass'd for a true Turkey-merchant. 1845 Disraeli Sybil ii. vi. A couple of centuries ago, a Turkey Merchant was the great creator of wealth.

  b. In names of things of actual or supposed Turkish or Levantine origin, as Turkey apricot, Turkey gall, Turkey myrrh, Turkey parsley, Turkey plum, Turkey sponge, Turkey tobacco, Turkey wood; of Turkish workmanship or manufacture, or made in imitation of this, as Turkey bow, Turkey coverlet, Turkey cushion, Turkey garter, Turkey grogram, Turkey morocco, Turkey opium, Turkey satin, Turkey slipper, Turkey tapestry, Turkey towel.

1696 Langford Fruit Trees 140 Amongst Apricocks..the *Turkey is much commended. 1731–59 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Armeniaca, The Turkey Apricot is yet larger..and of a globular Figure; the Fruit turns to a deeper Colour.

1572 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Eliz. (1908) 157 One *Turky Bowe and iii arrowes. 1578 Ibid. 292, vii Turkie Bowes at xii{supd} the peece.

1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. ii. v. 35 *Turkie couerlettes.

1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 355 Fine Linnen, *Turky cushions bost with pearle. 1684 in Archæol. Cambr., Orig. Doc. (1877) 8 Turky cushions.

1874 Flückiger & Hanbury Pharmacographia 536 Gallæ Halepenses, Gallæ Turcicæ; Galls, Nutgalls, Oak Galls, Aleppo or *Turkey Galls.

1650 in Verney Mem. (1907) I. 469 A paire of Scarletsilk stockings, with a paire of *Turkey garters to them.

1603–4 Bp. W. Barlow Confer. Hampton Crt. P ij, These are Cartwrightes Schollers, Scismatikes,..; you may know them by their Turkie gownes, and silke *Turky Grogorum.

1819 Rees Cycl., *Turkey Opium. 1890 Billings Med. Dict., Turkey opium, the official opium of the pharmacopœias, produced in Asia Minor, and shipped from Turkish ports.

1690 in Thanes of Cawdor (Spald. Club) 353 Ane unce of *Turkie persell.

1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. ii. (1586) 88 Quinces, Pomegranates, and *Turkie Plomes. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 214 Plums..Great Anthony, Turkey-Plum [etc.].

1545 Rates of Customs C viij, *Turky satten the pece. 1551 Sir J. Williams Accompte (Abbotsf. Cl. 1836) 51 A cope..with an orpheres of redde Turquey satten.

1760 W. J. Mickle Song, ‘There's nae Luck aboot the House’ iv, My *Turkey slippers maun gae on, My stockings pearly blue.

c 1645 Howell Lett. vi. 41 The wrong-side of a *Turky Tapistry.

1812 J. Smyth Pract. of Customs (1821) 260 *Turkey Tobacco may be imported in small packages within any hogshead.

1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. (Arb.) 123 Steles be made of dyuerse woodes, as Brasell, *Turkie wood, Fusticke, Sugercheste, Hardbeame, Byrche.

  c. Special combs., as Turkey alder, Alnus oblongata Willd.; † Turkey balm, Dracocephalum Moldavica Linn.; Turkeybean, ? the scarlet runner, Phaseolus multiflorus; Turkey berry, the fruit of species of Rhamnus, used in dyeing; cf. Persian berries; see also turkey² 7; Turkey blue, a dye: see quot.; Turkey chair, (a) a chair of Turkish make; (b) the sphenoid bone (of the horse); also Turkey-chair bone; Turkey colour: see quot.; Turkey corn, an old name for Indian corn; Turkey cress, earth: see quots.; Turkey fig, the common fig, Ficus carica; in Australia, the Indian fig or prickly pear, Opuntia; Turkey gilliflower, the French and the African marigold; † Turkey gown; † Turkey gruel, app. a contemptuous description of coffee; Turkey gum: see quot.; † Turkey hirse = Turkey millet; Turkey hone = Turkey stone 2; Turkey leather, leather tawed with oil, the hair side not being removed until after the tawing; hence Turkey-leathered a., bound in Turkey leather; Turkey † mill, millet, Sorghum vulgare: see millet¹ 2; Turkey oak, the mossy-cup oak of southern Europe, Quercus Cerris; Turkey rhubarb, medicinal rhubarb n. (1): see quot. 1866; Turkey rug = Turkish rug s.v. Turkish a. 2 b; Turkey slate = Turkey stone 2 (Ogilvie 1882); Turkey sponge, a superior grade of commercial sponge from the Mediterranean and Adriatic. † Turkey stool: cf. Turkey chair (a); Turkey twill: see quot. 1904. See also Turkey carpet, T. red, T. stone, T. wheat, T. work.

1822 Hortus Angl. II. 468 A[lnus] Oblongata. *Turkey Alder. Leaves elliptic, bluntish, glutinous.

1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 72/1 The *Turky Balm have the flowers growing on the top of the branch spire-like.

1690 in Thanes of Cawdor (Spald. Club) 353 Half pd. of *Turkie benes. 1806 Southey Let. to W. Taylor in Pearson's Catal. (1900) 76 My acorn will continue to grow when his Turkey bean shall have withered.

1841 Penny Cycl. XIX. 445/1 The berries of several species of Rhamnus..under the name of French, *Turkey, and Persian berries.

1815 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art II. 541 To dye Silk Blue... For the *Turkey blue, which is the deepest, a very strong archil bath is first used.

1683 Snape Anat. Horse iii. viii. 122 The Bone called the *Turkey chair. [Cf. Ibid. v. iv. 204 The Sphenoides, or Wedge-like Bone..hath several Processes, of which..the internal are four, standing out like four feet of a Table or Chair, which..form the Sella Turcica.] Ibid. iii. ix. 124 Near the side of the Turky-chair-bone they are inoculated with the second or greater branches of the fifth pair. 1684 in Archæol. Cambr., Orig. Doc. (1877) 7 In the greate Parlour..twelve turky chaires one table and Carpett.

1661 Peacham Compl. Gent (ed. 3) 156 *Turkie colour, i.e. Venice blew, or as others will have it, red. [Cf. 1611 Cotgr., Couleur Turquine, a right blue, or Venice blue. Ibid. s.v. Turc, Couleur Turque, azure.]

1597 Gerarde Herbal i. liv. 74 Of *Turkie cornes there be diuers sorts. 1611 Cotgr., Mays,..Turkie corne, Turkie wheat. 1865 Wedgwood Dict. Eng. Etymol. s.v., It is singular that a bird which came from America should have been considered as a Turkey fowl, but the same is the case with maize, which was called Turkey corn or Turkey wheat, Fr. bled de Turquie.

1633 Gerarde's Herbal ii. xxiv. 274 *Turkie cresses..is iudged to be the Arabis or Draba of the Ancients.

1748 J. Hill Hist. Fossils 14 Friable greyish red Bole, called *Turky Earth.

1866 Treas. Bot. 492/1 *Turkey figs are imported from Smyrna. 1888 Antipodean Notes 12 The ‘Turkey fig’ [in Adelaide] is about four times the size of a well-grown English fig.

1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. xxv. 176 Of *Turkie or Aphrican Gilofers. We do call this floure Turkie Gillofers, and French Marygoldes.

1558 in Feuillerat Revels Q. Eliz. (1908) 20, vi longe streighte *turkye gounes of redd cloth. 1603–4 Bp. W. Barlow Confer. Hampton Crt. ii. 27 They [Puritan divines] appeared before his Maiestie in Turky gownes, not in their Scholastical habites, sorting to their degrees.

1705 E. Ward Hud. Rediv. II. iii. 54 Some sucking Smoak from Indian Fuel, And others sipping *Turky Gruel.

1890 Billings Med. Dict., *Turkey gum, the generic name applied to the various species of Egyptian gums.

1597 Gerarde Herbal i. lv. 77 [Millet] is called..Turkie Mill or *Turkie Hirsse.

1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) I. 238 Novaculite. *Turkey hone. 1839 Ure Dict. Arts 1141 Whet-slate, or Turkey hone, is a slaty rock, containing a great proportion of quartz. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXV. 410/2 Turkey-hone..was first brought to Europe from the Levant.

1655–6 Wood Life Mar. (O.H.S.) I. 200 A very fair copie of them [sermons] bound in blew *Turkey-leather. 1821 Scott Kenilw. v, A small dagger..which hung in his turkey-leather sword-belt. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXV. 408/1 The so-called Turkey leather is made in England.

1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 4521/4 A small *Turkey Leather'd Bible. 1597 *Turkey mill [see Turkey hirse].

1597 Gerarde Herbal i. lv. 77 *Tvrkie Millet is a stranger in England. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1137.

1819 Pantologia, Quercus cerris, *Turkey oak... South of Europe. 1842 J. B. Fraser Mesopot. & Assyria xv. 353 The forest-trees are for the most part the following:—..Quercus cerris..Turkey oak.

1789 Trans. Soc. Arts l. 94 Commonly sold in the shops under the name of *Turkey or Russian Rhubarb. 1866 Treas. Bot. 971/2 What is known..as the best Turkey Rhubarb in reality comes from China through Russia... It was formerly imported from Natolia, whence the name Turkey Rhubarb.

1881 C. C. Harrison Woman's Handiwork in Mod. Homes iii. 143 The hardwood floors are stained dark, with *Turkey rugs. 1920 F. G. Ellerton Let. 25 Feb. in J. Bailey Lett. & Diaries (1935) 201 Now stamp up and down your Turkey rugs.

1902 D. Salomons in A. C. Harmsworth Motors vi. 94 A large *Turkey sponge is best for cleaning the body and wheels of the car. 1968 Canad. Antiques Collector Nov. 21/1 A fine piece of Turkey sponge was soaked in this mixture [sc. aromatic vinegar] and enclosed in a small container called a vinegar box or vinaigrette.

1640 Inv. in Nicholson Hist. & Trad. Tales (1843) 267 A *Turky stule and a rich work stule.

1904 Woollen Draper's Terms in Tailor & Cutter 480/1 *Turkey Twill, a soft make of cotton twill, usually red, but by no means confined to that colour. 1912 D. Crawford Thinking Black xiv. 271 Four cut-throats, with red turkey-twill turbans.

  Hence (nonce-words) ˈTurkeydom, the realm or empire of the Turks; † Turkeyed (ˈtɜːkɪd), a. [-ed²], Turkish, Turk-like, Turkified; ˈTurkeyism, belief in Turkey, Turkish political sympathies.

1849 Thackeray Pendennis liii, We will cut off all the heads in Christendom or *Turkeydom rather than that.

1600 O. E. Repl. Libel iii. Pref. 1 His owne friendes charge him with *Turkeied machiauelisme.

1877 Gladstone in Daily News 13 Nov. 6 This distinguished man, who represents what I have called *Turkeyism, in his speech at the Guildhall drops entirely the ‘integrity’ of the Turkish empire.

Oxford English Dictionary