[f. TURN v. + SPIT sb.; cf. TURNBROACH.]
1. A dog kept to turn the roasting-spit by running within a kind of tread-wheel connected with it; a turnspit dog. Also fig.
1576. Fleming, trans. Caius’ Dogs (1880), 35. A certaine dogge … when any meate is to bee roasted they go into a wheele … turning rounde about with the waight of their bodies…. Whom the popular sort herevpon call Turnespets.
a. 1619. Fletcher, Mad Lover, III. ii. Get thee to school again, and talk of turnspits.
1793. [E. D. Clarke], Tour S. Eng., iv. 215. Dogs are universally used, in this part of the world, as turnspits.
1801. Col. G. Hanger, Life, II. 246. These turnspits, who, in the metaphysical wheel, turn the spit of conjecture.
1863. Jesse, in Chambers, Bk. Days, 8 April, I. 490/1. His two turnspits … were long-bodied, crook-legged, and ugly dogs.
2. A boy or man whose office was to turn the spit. Also used as a term of contempt.
1607. Puritan, I. ii. 3. As hot as a turn-spit.
1683. Roxb. Ball. (1885), V. 455. Fat Turnspit Frank,… Whom we despise, in time may rise to be Jester to King Perkin.
1723. Swift, French Dog, Wks. 1755, IV. I. 36. A turn-spit in the royal kitchen.
1802–12. Bentham, Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827), II. 139. The King’s turnspit used to be a member of parliament.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, II. i. ¶ 5. Leonarda … passed for a very decent plain cook; but a mere turnspit to dame Jacintha.
1869. Blackmore, Lorna D., v. All good people … knowing his kitchen range to be cold, no longer would play turnspit.
3. A roasting-jack. rare.
1606. Chapman, Gentl. Usher, III. i. Euen as in a turne-spit calld a Iacke … the great wheeles, Turning but softly, make the lesse to whirre.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Turn-spit, a clock-work machine for cooking.
4. attrib., as turnspit-boy, cur, dog, -jack, terrier.
1820. Scott, Monast., xiv. A little dirty *turnspit-boy.
1603. Harsnet, Pop. Impost., xxii. 145. Moved … as a Wheele is by a *turnspit curre, that is put into it.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. iv. (1635), 81. *Turne-spit-dogs labouring in their wheeles.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Laconics, Wks. 1711, IV. 14. Seeing one of the Turn-spit Dogs bask himself in the Sun.
1845. Youatt, Dog, ii. 18. Colonel Sykes says … among the pariahs is frequently found the turnspit-dog.
1674. Petty, Disc. Dupl. Proportion, 39. In any good *Turnspit-Jack,… a quadruple weight makes double Velocity.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. iii. Toby the *turnspit terrier.
