Turnip Winter

proper noun

The winter of 1916 to 1917, a period of profound civilian hardship in Germany during World War I, due to the Allied blockade, the German focus on supplying the military, and a poor harvest.

OriginGerman Steckrübenwinter →
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Meanings

proper nounthe Turnip Winter
  1. historicalThe winter of 1916 to 1917, a period of profound civilian hardship in Germany during World War I, due to the Allied blockade, the German focus on supplying the military, and a poor harvest.

Origin

  1. GermanSteckrübenwinter
  2. EnglishTurnip Winter

Calque of German Steckrübenwinter

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: Turnip Winter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.