turntable

American  

[turn-tey-buhl] / ˈtɜrnˌteɪ bəl /

noun

1. the rotating disk that spins the record on a phonograph.

2. Railroads. a rotating, track-bearing platform pivoted in the center, used for turning locomotives and cars around.

3. a rotating stand used in sculpture, metalwork, and ceramics.

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turntable British  

/ ˈtɜːnˌteɪbəl /

noun

1. the circular horizontal platform that rotates a gramophone record while it is being played

2. a flat circular platform that can be rotated about its centre, used for turning locomotives and cars

3. the revolvable platform on a microscope on which specimens are examined

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Etymology

Origin of turntable

First recorded in 1825–35; turn + table

Explanation

A turntable is an old-fashioned device for listening to music — it's the part of a record player that revolves, turning the record as a needle rests on it. You can use the word turntable interchangeably with "record player" or "phonograph." If you want to listen to LPs, those large, flat discs that store sound recordings in their grooves, you're going to need a turntable. This meaning has been around since the early 20th century. Before that, a turntable was a round, revolving platform used in train yards for turning a railroad car.

Example Sentences

The director, Taibi Magar, keeps the show moving fluidly on a set by Matt Saunders featuring a turntable and a pixelated backdrop that effectively ushers us between moods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 31, 2025

Inside, he’s in the company of his drum machine, a turntable, synthesizers and his vinyl collection.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Stereos used to have an amplifier and then a turntable and then speakers and all of these different things.

From Slate • Aug. 13, 2025

The fire brigade said they used turntable and portable ladders to rescue patients, several of whom were elderly and had mobility issues.

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

In the case was a machine revolving slowly on a turntable, a machine with metal parts that slid in and out and collapsed in upon themselves to form new images.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt