turntable

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.”

   “[T]he Museum has installed turntables to give life to other material. Thus one sees a cross-section of the human skull revolving slowly on its pedestal and a much enlarged model of the ear on another, so that the spectator can examine every detail without walking around the display.”

   “The potted plant material can be placed on the turntables during the treatment period, and rotated to ensure uniform distribution of simulated rain to the plant material. […] The amount of water delivered to each of the four turntables was compared by analysis of variance (SPSS).”

2. A circular rotating platform.

   “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.”

   “Inside a belt-driven turntable is a small motor with a rubber band linking it to the underside of the deckplatter (the part you put the record on). […] Direct-driven turntables are a better option than belt-driven ones. […] [I]n direct-driven turntables the centre spindle is the motor (so it drives the motor directly).”

   “He played two copies of the same record, one on each turntable, at the same time. He cut back and forth between the two records by lifting the turntables’ needles and dropping them back on the vinyl. This allowed him to replay the same part of the record over and over again, which lengthened the break from several seconds to several minutes.”

3. A circular rotating platform.

   “Of locomotive interest was "an engine house for spare engines which was about 60 ft. × 51 ft.; on the outside of this was an immense turntable sufficient to turn the engine and tender at once."”

   “The domestic coal depot at St Pancras, north of Somers Town Goods. The numerous transverse sidings, into which full wagons were placed for unloading, were served by more than a dozen small wagon turntables from a central spine siding, with shunting by horses or possibly capstans and cables.”

4. A circular rotating platform.

verb

1. (transitive)To play (a record) using a turntable.

   “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: […]”

   “Rik Shaw of Deadly Dragon Soundsystem continues his weekly residency by turntabling the rudest Jamaican dance records ever pressed.”

2. (intransitive)To rotate or turn around using, or as if using, a turntable.

   “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.”

   “To submerge the upper body while turntabling on the side, perform one scoop with the lower arm, or two smaller scoops with the same arm, so that the body rolls and twists from a Spearfish position on the side into an inverted Spearfish position.”

   “He stopped, turned around and looked to the City, which he saw as its first buildings in the haze the subway el entered as a vanishing point. He looked into the other direction, hills beginning, turntabling a highway toward the country.”

   “The Round House, a bare, gaunt railway shed designed by Stephenson in 1847, in which engines were once housed and turntabled (hence its shape and name), was in those days very flexible in its programming and in its seating arrangements; […]”

   “"Pass the loco weed," I say to a middle-aged redhead turntabling naked in the middle of the floor, no doubt wondering why her red go-go boots are nailed over the fireplace.”

3. (intransitive)To manipulate sound using turntables; to perform turntablism; to scratch

   “We particularly like hovering next to DJ Sid Wilson and seeing how he spends the large chunks of time where he's not turntabling.”