turnstile

turnstile — noun

1. A turnstile is a gate with rotating arms that sits across an entrance and lets p

1.nounB1
Definition

A turnstile is a gate with rotating arms that sits across an entrance and lets people walk through one by one, typically after paying, showing a ticket, or swiping a card.

Example

Tariro swiped her transit card and walked through the turnstile at the station entrance.

collocation: through a turnstile

The museum installed new turnstiles to count daily visitors.

Common collocations
  • through a turnstile
  • pass through a turnstile
  • walk through a turnstile
  • push through a turnstile
  • turnstile gate
  • subway turnstile
  • stadium turnstile
  • turnstile arm
  • turnstile counter
Synonyms
  • gate

    broader term — a gate can be a hinged barrier that swings open, not necessarily one-person-at-a-time

  • barrier

    more general — can mean any obstacle or fence, not specifically a rotating entry device

  • ticket gate

    specific to transit systems where a ticket or card is required to pass

Usage Note

Turnstiles are commonly found at subway stations, stadiums, museums, and amusement parks. The verb that pairs most often with turnstile is 'go through' or 'pass through'. Unlike a door, a turnstile does not open — it rotates.

Common Mistakes

I walked through the turnstile door.
I walked through the turnstile.
A turnstile is not a door; it is a gate with rotating arms.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A turnstile is a specific type of entry control: it has short rotating arms that let one person through at a time and is common at paid-entry venues such as subway stations, stadiums, and museums. A gate is a broader term for any hinged or sliding barrier that opens and closes — it does not limit passage to one person at a time, nor does it usually involve payment. A barrier is even more general and can refer to a fence, wall, cone, or rail. A revolving door looks somewhat similar to a turnstile because it also rotates, but it is a full-height glass door meant for continuous traffic in both directions at building entrances; it rarely requires a ticket or coin. For example: 'She swiped her card at the turnstile' (payment + one-person passage), but 'He held the gate open for his friends' (no payment, wider opening), and 'The revolving door spun as people entered the lobby' (full-height, no payment).

gate ↗barrier ↗revolving door

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • pass through a turnstile
  • walk through a turnstile
  • go through a turnstile
  • push through a turnstile
  • swipe through a turnstile

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld EnglishEnglish

Turnstile is a compound of 'turn' and 'stile'. A stile is a set of steps that let people climb over a fence or wall. In a turnstile, the arms 'turn' instead of the person climbing, allowing one person to pass at a time. The word has been used in English since the 1600s.