Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The keeper of the keys in a prison; a jailer.
- adjective Supplied, installed, or purchased in a condition ready for immediate use, occupation, or operation.
- adjective Of or relating to something supplied, installed, or purchased in this manner.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The person who has charge of the keys of a prison, for opening and fastening the doors; a prison warden.
- noun An instrument, now almost obsolete, used for extracting teeth.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A person who has charge of the keys of a prison, for opening and fastening the doors; a warder.
- noun (Dentistry) An instrument with a hinged claw, -- used for extracting teeth with a twist.
- adjective Of or pertaining to a building, complex device, system, or industrial installation which is sold by a contractor only after it is ready for immediate occupation or use; fully functional and ready for use; -- used of complex systems of a type which often require preparation or installation by the user before being capable of functioning as intended.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective
ready to use without furtherassembly ortest ;supplied in astate that is ready toturn on andoperate (typically refers to an assembly that isoutsourced for manufacture) - noun A
warder orjailer /gaoler ;keeper of thekeys in aprison . - verb to supply a turnkey product; to supply something fully
assembled and ready to use
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun someone who guards prisoners
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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He promotes his services at dealer trade shows, selling what he calls a "turnkey" operation with contracts, software and insurance for used-car leasing.
The Seattle Times 2012
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
It’s Friday! 2009
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
Staples of B-movies. 2009
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
Stuff of legend. 2009
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
Get outta my bin! 2009
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
Hooray! 2010
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
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INDEXED shirts = adventures in turnkey capitalism.
yarb commented on the word turnkey
Thereupon the magistrate withdrew, assuring me that the gaoler should be ordered to give me free egress. In fact, the very next moment the turnkey came into my dungeon...
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 1 ch. 13
September 12, 2008
ecbrenner commented on the word turnkey
"A system or software package that has been built, installed or supplied by the manufacturer complete and ready to operate. In the computer industry, the term is used to promote a system that can be easily set up and operated 'right out of the box.'" --ECommerce-Guide.com
February 27, 2009
rolig commented on the word turnkey
God, I hate marketing lingo, especially when it usurps a wonderful, vivid word like turnkey. In my view, this self-promotional usage, and the marketeers who came up with it, are shovel-ready. Do any of these people read books?
*feels himself turning into a curmudgeon; sort of likes it, sort of doesn't*
February 27, 2009
dontcry commented on the word turnkey
I always think of turnkey and thumbscrew together. That is, whenever I hear turnkey I then think of thumbscrew and vice-versa. Then I almost always remember that actor who had kind of bulging eyes (not Marty Feldman) who wore, in at least one movie, a sackcloth garb, had kind of a Beatles haircut and was somebody's turnkey, thumbscrew, or sidekick. What was his name...?
February 27, 2009
dailyword commented on the word turnkey
Tyrion called Mord this in an episode of Game Of Thrones when he was imprisoned at The Eyrie.
June 11, 2012