n. [ OE. turnep; probably fr. turn, or F. tour a turn, turning lathe + OE. nepe a turnip, AS. n&aemacr_;pe, L. napus. Cf. Turn, v. t., Navew. ] (Bot.) The edible, fleshy, roundish, or somewhat conical, root of a cruciferous plant (Brassica campestris, var. Napus); also, the plant itself. [ Formerly written also turnep. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Swedish turnip (Bot.), a kind of turnip. See Ruta-baga. --
Turnip flea (Zool.), a small flea-beetle (Haltica, striolata syn. Phyllotreta striolata), which feeds upon the turnip, and often seriously injures it. It is black with a stripe of yellow on each elytron. The name is also applied to several other small insects which are injurious to turnips. See Illust. under Flea-beetle. --
Turnip fly. (Zool.) (a) The turnip flea. (b) A two-winged fly (Anthomyia radicum) whose larvae live in the turnip root. [ 1913 Webster ]