tur·ret  (tûr ĭt, t ŭr -)
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n.1. A small tower or tower-shaped projection on a building. 2. a. A low, heavily armored structure, usually rotating horizontally, containing mounted guns and their gunners or crew, as on a warship or tank. b. A domelike gunner's enclosure projecting from the fuselage of a combat aircraft. 3. A tall wooden structure mounted on wheels and used in ancient warfare by besiegers to scale the walls of an enemy fortress. 4. An attachment for a lathe consisting of a rotating cylindrical block holding various cutting tools. 5. A rotating device holding various lenses, as for a microscope, allowing easy switching from one lens to another.
[Middle English turet, from Old French torete, diminutive of tor, tower; see TOWER.]  (click for a larger image) turret |
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