Meaning of 'turk'

A member of any of numerous Tartar tribes of Central Asia, etc.; esp., one of the dominant race in Turkey.

A native or inhabitant of Turkey.

A Mohammedan; esp., one living in Turkey. It is no good reason for a man's religion that he was born and brought up in it; for then a Turk would have as much reason to be a Turk as a Christian to be a Christian. Chillingworth.

(Zoöl.) The plum weevil. See Curculio, and Plum weevil, under Plum. Turk's cap. (Bot.) (a) Turk's-cap lily. See under Lily. (b) A tulip. (c) A plant of the genus Melocactus; Turk's head. See Melon cactus, under Melon. -- Turk's head. (a) (Naut.) A knot of turbanlike form worked on a rope with a piece of small line. R. H. Dana, Jr. (b) (Bot.) See Turk's cap (c) above. -- Turk's turban (Bot.), a plant of the genus Ranunculus; crowfoot.