Turm

• Thurm (obsolete)

From Middle High German turm, an East Central German variant of turn, from Old High German turn, from Old French *torn (cf. the diminutive tornele), variant of tor, from Latin turris. From the same Old French source are Dutch toren, Low German Toorn. The final -m is probably due to sporadic dissimilation; a connection with the Latin accusative turrim (as sometimes conjectured) is unlikely.

• IPA^(key): /tʊʁm/

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Turm m (strong, genitive Turmes or Turms, plural Türme, diminutive Türmchen n or Türmlein n)

1. (architecture) tower, spire (very tall building or structure, especially with a tapering top)
   • 1998, Archaeologia Bulgarica, page 100:

     Die Lage des Turmes ist an der westlichen inneren Festungsmauer unmittelbar südlich von einem Mauerbogen.

     The tower's positioned on western inner castle wall immediately south to the arch.

2. (architecture) steeple (tall tower on a church, normally topped with a spire)

   Synonym: Kirchturm

3. (chess) rook (piece shaped like a castle tower)

   Synonyms: Elefant, Roch, Roche, Rochen

   • 2009, Siegbert Tarrasch, Das Schachspiel. Systematisches Lehrbuch für Anfänger und Geübte, Jens-Erik Rudolph Verlag, page 137:

     Die Türme sollen immer möglichst rasch miteinander in Verbindung, „verdoppelt” sein. Ein wesentlicher Nachteil des Verlustes der Rochade ist es, daß die Verbindung der Türme gestört ist.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (sports) diving platform (structure used for competitive diving)

   Synonym: Sprungturm

• → Hungarian: torony
• → Lower Sorbian: torm
• → Luxembourgish: Tuerm
• → Romanian: turn

• “Turm” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Turm” in Duden online