lazy susan

noun

A rotating tray (turntable) used on tables and counters for serving condiments or food.

Meanings

lazy susan1

nounlazy susan (plural lazy susans)

plural lazy susans

  1. Alternative letter-case form of lazy Susan.

lazy Susan2

nounlazy Susan (plural lazy Susans)

plural lazy Susans · alternative Lazy Susan · alternative lazy susan

  1. A rotating tray (turntable) used on tables and counters for serving condiments or food.
  2. A rotating set of shelves used to minimize inaccessible space, usually employed in corner kitchen cabinets.

    The 36′′ corner lazy Susan cabinet makes excellent use of corner spaces in a kitchen.

    2011 June 22, Danny Proulx, Simply Built Cabinets, Penguin, →ISBN, page 59
  3. businessSynonym of round trip (“form of barter involving selling and buying back”).

    Synonyms: round trip

Lazy Susan3

nounLazy Susan (plural Lazy Susans)

plural Lazy Susans

  1. Alternative letter-case form of lazy Susan.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of round trip (“form of barter involving selling and buying back”).

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

nouna revolving tray placed on a dining table

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Uncertain, but probably a generic name like Jane, in reference to the device replacing a servant at table. The earliest attestation is from c. 1903 in the Boston Journal, which credits a local carpenter named John Laurie as "the resuscitator of 'Lazy Susan'". Almost certainly not named in honor of the daughters of Thomas Jefferson or Edison who were both named Susan.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque erretilu birakari
  • erretilu birakarilazy Susan
Chinese 餐桌轉盤 /餐桌转盘
  • 餐桌轉盤 /餐桌转盘 (cānzhuō zhuànpán)lazy Susan
Finnish pyörivä tarjotin, pyörivä tarjoilualusta
  • pyörivä tarjotinlazy Susan
  • pyörivä tarjoilualustalazy Susan
German Drehplatte, Drehteller
  • Drehplattelazy Susan
  • Drehtellerlazy Susan
Polish taca obrotowa
  • taca obrotowalazy Susan
Portuguese bandeja giratória
  • bandeja giratórialazy Susan
Romanian carusel
  • carusellazy Susan
Russian поворо́тный подно́с, крутя́щий подно́с
  • поворо́тный подно́с (povorótnyj podnós)lazy Susan
  • крутя́щий подно́с (krutjáščij podnós)lazy Susan
Spanish tabla giratoria, bandeja giratoria
  • tabla giratorialazy Susan
  • bandeja giratorialazy Susan
  • bandeja de rotatorialazy Susan
  • estante giratoriolazy Susan
Swedish snurrbricka, vändskiva
  • snurrbrickalazy Susan
  • vändskivalazy Susan
Cite this entry
APA

lazy susan. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lazy%20susan

MLA

“lazy susan.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lazy%20susan. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lazy susan,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lazy%20susan.

Source: lazy susan on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.