Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “turret” come from?

Turret comes from Middle English touret, from Old French torete, diminutive of tour meaning "tower," from Latin turris, ultimately from a root meaning "to turn" or "twist."

turret (English): A little tower, frequently a merely ornamental...

Definitions

  1. A little tower, frequently a merely ornamental...

Ancestry of “turret”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtouret—
2Old Frenchtorete—
3LatinTurris—
4Ancient Greekτύρριςtower, walled city
5Ancient Greekτύρσιςtower, bastion

Words derived from “turret”

  • turreted
  • turretless
  • turretlike
  • multiturreted
  • unturreted
  • nonturreted
  • multiturret
Every word from Ancient Greek τύρσις →