What does "turntable" mean?
A circular rotating platform.
Turntable
/ˈtɜːnteɪb(ə)l/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A circular rotating platform.
- Grammar: turntable is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: audio sound system, audiophile, binaural system, bitch box.
- Useful contrasts: fixed base, fixed platform, static base.
- Usage evidence: Tom listened to a vinyl record on his turntable.
How to use "turntable"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "turntable" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "turntable" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "turntable" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "turntable" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "turntable" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "audio sound system" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "turntable", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A circular rotating platform.
"This invention, by John Grantham, of 31, Nicholas-lane, E.C., refers to machines with turntables or mould frames, upon which are fixed a certain number of moulds, and around which three operations are carried on nearly simultaneously, […] The moulds are presented seriatim to these operations, and hitherto the turntable has been moved by means of manual labour, which it is now proposed to effect by the use of hydraulic machinery."
- 2 a circular horizontal platform that rotates a phonograph record while it is being played wordnet
- 3 A circular rotating platform.; The circular rotating platform of a record player or a disk jockey's console on which the record rests during play; (by extension), a record player.
"I am also impressed with the good sound quality of the record. It is suitable for radio play, perhaps theater and film scores, as well as for the home turntable."
- 4 a rotatable platform with a track; used to turn locomotives and cars wordnet
- 5 A circular rotating platform.; A rotating platform placed in a circular pit, used for turning locomotives, cars, or trucks.
"In order to transfer an engine or carriage laterally to another line of rails, at a station or terminus, circular platforms called turntables are established upon each set of rails, which turn as upon a pivot in the centre of each line, each contiguous pair of tables being connected by short branch rails, standing at right angles to the line of rails. The engine or carriage to be transferred is brought to rest wholly upon one table, which is then turned a quarter round, and the carriage is then wheeled on to the next turntable, which being likewise turned a quarter round, the engine or carriage will then be in a position to proceed on the line to which the second table appertains."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a revolving tray placed on a dining table wordnet
Verb
- 1 To play (a record) using a turntable. transitive
"Traditional carols we all know. Holiday Baroque, Renaissance and medieval music is not, and therefore makes a distinctive gift for the discriminating recordphile and is certain to be turntabled other times of the year, too: […]"
- 2 To rotate or turn around using, or as if using, a turntable. intransitive
"Herein we see a plan wisely borrowed from America, in whose great cities the bulk of the merchandise is not carted along the streets, but turntabled into and out of the warehouse basements from an underground railway."
- 3 To manipulate sound using turntables; to perform turntablism; to scratch intransitive
"We particularly like hovering next to DJ Sid Wilson and seeing how he spends the large chunks of time where he's not turntabling."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
fixed basefixed platformstatic basestationary platform
Example
"Tom listened to a vinyl record on his turntable."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "turntable"?
Common synonyms include: audio sound system, audiophile, binaural system, bitch box, bullhorn, cartridge.
How do you use "turntable" in a sentence?
Tom listened to a vinyl record on his turntable.
How do you pronounce "turntable"?
Pronounced /ˈtɜːnteɪb(ə)l/.
Etymology
From turn + table.