turnspit
/ˈtɜrnˌspɪt/
noun
- A person or a small dog whose job was to turn a roasting spit over a fire, especially in old kitchens.
- In medieval times, a turnspit was often a young boy who rotated the meat over the hearth.
- The turnspit dog was bred to run on a wheel that turned the spit for roasting.
- The old castle's kitchen still has a fireplace with a mechanism for a turnspit.