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Definition of turnstone

turnstone

/ˈtɜːrnstoʊn/
turn · stone
Plural:turnstones
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turnstone Lexical Profile

turnstone Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A small, stout coastal shorebird of the genus Arenaria, known for its distinct foraging habit of flipping over stones, shells, and seaweed to find hidden marine invertebrates.

Example

"Walking along the rocky beach, we watched a flock of turnstones busily flipping pebbles to catch small crabs."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for turnstone

• Rhymes for turnstone

• Nearby Words

turnover
turnpike
turnstile
turnstone
turntable
turnup
turpentine

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in English in the 17th century from 'turn' and 'stone', a literal description of the bird's characteristic foraging behavior of flipping over pebbles and debris to find hidden insects and crustaceans.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Turnstone. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/turnstone
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