sb. and a. [f. the verbal phr. turn over (TURN v. 77).]
A. sb. 1. The action of turning over, in various senses: see quots.; spec. in Polit. slang, a transference of votes from one party to another.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 365. Dancers on the rope, standing with their head down, and feet up, with a thousand Turn-overs, and Gamboles.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, II. 62. The turn-over proved quite a relief to the company.
1868. A. K. H. Boyd, Less. Mid. Age, 279. The music was good, after the choir got themselves settled to their work. But if I were Dean of Wells, there should be a thorough turn-over.
1895. G. W. E. Russell, in Forum (N.Y.), Oct., 160. No very sweeping change of opinion—no very considerable turnover of votes.
2. An apprentice whose indentures are transferred to another master on the retirement or failure of his original one; also, the action or process of turning over an apprentice. Now dial.
1631. Heywood, 1st Pt. Fair Maid of West, II. i. Wks. 1874, II. 276. Bess. Your olde Master … hath turn’d over your yeares to me. Clem. Right forsooth: before he was a Vintner, hee was a shoo-maker, and left two or three turne-overs more besides my selfe.
1666. in Eng. Gilds (1870), Introd. 161, note. Supernumerary Apprentices and Turn-overs, which have increased the number [of printers] almost to twice as many.
1708. Constit. Waterman’s Co., xii. 24. Every Apprentice, whose Master and Mistress shall happen to dye … shall … apply himself to the Rulers,… and … be by them … turned over to some other able and fit Master or Mistress,… by Indorsing such Turn-over upon his Indenture of Apprentiship.
1886. T. Frost, Remin. Country Journalist, v. (1888), 52. A ‘turn-over,’ that is, an apprentice who, after serving a portion of his term, is transferred to another employer.
3. Any thing or part that is turned or folded over. † a. ? In a cork shoe, a welt which is turned over the insole; also a shoe with such a welt. Obs. b. The flap of an envelope; a leaf of a book, etc. c. An article that begins in the last column of a newspaper page and continues overleaf.
1611. Cotgr., Bord,… the welt, or turneouer of a corke shoe.
1630. in Welford, Hist. Newcastle (1887), III. 298. Stall rooms—of Mark Milbank, for himself for a turnover, 3s.
1829. Yng. Lady’s Bk., 338. A very small bit of wax may be dropped beneath the turn-over of the letter. Ibid., 340. These envelopes … resemble a sort of pocket; the ends are closed, and the turn-over is sealed in the usual way, after the enclosure is inserted.
1842. S. Lover, Handy Andy, ii. He caught some words that were on the last turn-over of the sheet.
1883. (title) ‘Turnovers’ from ‘The Globe.’
1899. Roberton, Kipling Guide Bk., 52. ‘Turn-overs,’ so called from the sketch (‘turning over’ to the second page) by Mr. Kipling.
4. a. A linen band or the like worn round the neck and turned down; a turn-down collar or neck-band.
1716–20. Lett. fr. Mist’s Jrnl. (1722), I. 204. Curious Linnen, made up into very fine Turnovers, Necks, and Ruffles.
1802. James, Milit. Dict., Turnover, a piece of white linen which is worn by the soldiers belonging to the British cavalry over their stocks, about half an inch deep. Three turnovers per annum are ordered to be provided.
1825. Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 158. The ‘turnovers’ worn by the beaus of those days [1770], with ‘ruffles.’
b. local. A small shawl worn by women.
1891. Quiller-Couch Noughts & Crosses, Gifts F. Himkoff, 206. She wore a violet turnover.
5. A kind of tart in which the fruit is laid on one half of the rolled out paste, and the other half turned over it; a child’s sweetmeat resembling this. Also attrib. as turn-over shop.
1798. Sporting Mag., XI. 176. An old woman … preparing her turnovers, commonly called apple-pies.
1825. S. R. in Hone, Every-day Bk., I. 1291. Our ‘tart’ and ‘turn-over’ shop.
1847. in Halliwell.
1882. Gd. Words, 606. Venison pasties and apple turnovers and runlets of ale.
1892. Star, 24 Dec., 3/2. There were sweets called turnovers, in which were coins of various values.
6. The total amount of business done in a given time; also, the amount of goods produced and disposed of by a manufacturer; also, the ‘turning over’ of the capital involved in a business; also, the net profit derived from a business in a given time.
1879. Escott, England, I. 391. On this large turn-over the gross profit averages 81/2 per cent.
1880. Daily News, 10 Dec., 5/7. The Blarney mills make a great ‘turn over’ of tweed.
1883. Bloomfield, Fisheries Irel., 13 (Fish. Exhib. Publ.). The great trading motto of low price and large and quick turn overs.
1894. Brit. Jrnl. Photogr., XLI. 5. The cost of production, unless very carefully managed, runs the turnover very close.
B. adj. That turns or is turned over, as turnover apprentice, collar, hand, lip, majority: cf. senses above; turnover boiler, concern, gear: see quots.; turnover rake, a hay-rake that, when full, turns over and deposits its collection; turnover-table, a table with hinged top: see quot.; also a table with a sliding panel prepared for use as a draught-board or the like when reversed (Cent. Dict., 1891).
1849. Craig, Turnover-table, a sort of small table, the top of which … may be turned over perpendicularly when out of use, thus occupying less room.
1859. Autobiog. Beggar Boy, 113. There was no opening for a turnover apprentice.
1864. Webster, s.v., A turn-over collar.
1874. F. G. Lee, Man. Cleric., 7. The Chalice should never have turn-over lips.
1877. Knight, Dict. Mech., Turn-over Boiler, a form of boiler in which the flues were turned over the fire-box or furnace. Ibid., Turn-over Gear,… an application of machinery for hauling up logs from the saw-mill to the log-carriage, or turning the log on the carriage after slabbing one side.
1883. Daily News, 20 July, 6/1. Messrs. Riches and Watts’s turn-over gathering rake.
1892. Labour Commission Gloss., Turn-over Concerns, mills and machinery … turned over to a limited liability company.
1913. Daily Graphic, 24 March, 13/1. Nearly all the women were wearing low turn-over collars in colour, with flowing Quartier Latin ties.
