turnspit

American  

[turn-spit] / ˈtɜrnˌspɪt /

noun

1. a spit that rotates or can be rotated.

2. a mechanically or manually operated device for turning a spit on which meat is roasted.

3. a person who turns a spit.

4. a small dog having a long body and short legs, used formerly to work a treadmill that turned a spit.

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turnspit British  

/ ˈtɜːnˌspɪt /

noun

1. (formerly) a servant or small dog whose job was to turn the spit on which meat, poultry, etc, was roasting

2. a spit that can be so turned

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Etymology

Origin of turnspit

First recorded in 1570–80; turn + spit ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

turnspit

In the Middle Ages, many households employed a turnspit dog, a breed developed to turn roasting meat by running inside a small cage that resembled a hamster wheel.

From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2011

Modern cooking technologies eliminated the need for turnspit dogs, and they faded away.

From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2011

Mr. Jesse, a popular writer on rural subjects, was a keen observer of old-time customs and institutions, and the best account of the turnspit that has come under our notice is from his pen.

From England in the Days of Old by William Andrews

They are said also to be derived from terriers, and it seems to me that the perpetuation of malformation in several breeds will produce the turnspit.

From Anecdotes of the Habits and Instinct of Animals by Harrison Weir

Often he became a pieman, and once he was a turnspit in the household of the Lord Bishop himself.

From The White Ladies of Worcester A Romance of the Twelfth Century by Florence L. (Florence Louisa) Barclay

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