Meanings
turps1
- informaluncountableTurpentine or turpentine substitute.
- AustraliaNew ZealandslanguncountableAny alcoholic drink.
Crazy sessions on the turps were all part of the culture.
2006, Gregor Paul, Hard Men Fight Back: Kiwi Sportsmen Who Beat the Odds to Live Their Dream, page 1993 more examples
‘No flamin’ good for anyone, wimmin. Leave ’em alone, I says. Stick to the old turps, I says.’
1960, J. E. Macdonnell, Don't Gimme the Ships, Melbourne: Horwitz Publications, page 111Generally, big nights on the turps take place in The Rocks and around Kings Cross — where you'll hear and smell the action pretty quickly.
2005, Paul Smitz, Australia & New Zealand on a Shoestring, page 72She caught my eye, and called out, “Just showing off the studio. Keep the turps flowing.”
2010, Alex Bartoli, Rachel: A Story of Obsessive Love : A Novel, page 110
TURPs2
- pluralplural of TURP
Synonyms & antonyms
nounvolatile liquid distilled from turpentine oleoresin; used as paint thinner and solvent and medicinally
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Clipping of turpentine + -s (diminutive suffix).
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
turps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turps
“turps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turps. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turps,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turps.
Source: turps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.