Crossword clues for turnspit
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Turnspit \Turn"spit`\, n.
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One who turns a spit; hence, a person engaged in some menial office.
His lordship is his majesty's turnspit.
--Burke. (Zo["o]l.) A small breed of dogs having a long body and short crooked legs. These dogs were formerly much used for turning a spit on which meat was roasting.
Wiktionary
n. 1 A person employed in turning a spit for the purpose of roasting meat. 2 (context archaic English) A short-legged, long-bodied dog, now extinct, bred to run on a wheel to turn a spit.
WordNet
n. a roasting spit that can be turned
Usage examples of "turnspit".
And as these are only reserved for this purpose, so in many places our mastiffs (beside the use which tinkers have of them in carrying their heavy budgets) are made to draw water in great wheels out of deep wells, going much like unto those which are framed for our turnspits, as is to be seen at Roiston, where this feat is often practised.
The second sort of them are called turnspits, whose office is not unknown to any.