turnout

1 the group that gathers together for a particular occasion; "a large turnout for the meeting"

2 a part of a road that has been widened to allow cars to pass or park [syn: widening]

3 a short stretch of railroad track used to store rolling stock or enable trains on the same line to pass [syn: siding, railroad siding, sidetrack]

4 what is produced in a given time period [syn: output, outturn]

5 a set of clothing (with accessories); "his getup was exceedingly elegant" [syn: outfit, getup, rig]

6 attendance for a particular event or purpose (as to vote in an election); "the turnout for the rally"

7 (ballet) the outward rotation of a dancer's leg from the hip

English

Etymology

From turn + out.

Noun

1. attendance; crowd

   This restaurant had a pretty good turnout for a Wednesday night.

2. a place to pull off a road

   When towing a trailer, use the turnouts to let faster traffic pass.

3. In the context of "rail transport|chiefly|US": a place where moveable rails allow a train to switch tracks; a set of points

Synonyms

• (roadside area) lay-by

The word turnout can refer to:

• the number of people who come to or turn out for an event, such as voter turnout in an election
• a railroad switch or point
• in American English, a place along a road for slower automobiles to pull over, in order to let others pass, or for brief parking (also called a pullout or lay-by). Similar to the British English passing place, except that the latter are only for passing, not parking.
• Turnout gear, the protective gear worn by firefighters
• a coach or carriage together with the horses, harness and attendants.
• a rotation of the leg (commonly practiced in classical ballet) which comes from the hips, causing the knee and foot to turn outward, away from the center of the body. This rotation allows for greater extension of the leg, especially when raising it to the side and rear.
• a staircase handrail fitting at the beginning of a stair balustrade.

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