What does turlough mean?
Turlough is a chiefly Irish and Scottish noun for a small lake or pool. In Ireland it often refers specifically to a seasonal lake fed by springs in limestone country: some fill during the wet winter months and become much shallower or dry in summer, while others persist. The word is therefore narrower than the general terms lake or pond but overlaps with both, and in Scottish usage it can denote a small inland pool. Turlough is uncommon in general English, so speakers may recognize it from Irish place names or descriptions of the bog and karst landscapes of western Ireland. Its interest lies in both the landscape it names and the word's history: English borrowed it from Irish turloch, meaning “pool,” and closely related forms survive in Gaelic. Using it precisely requires attention to the local and sometimes seasonal nature of the water body: a turlough need not be a permanent lake, and calling an ordinary pond a turlough may sound locally questionable even if the broader meaning permits it. In writing about Irish geography, turlough is especially useful where it distinguishes these often temporary waters from larger permanent lakes and from ordinary upland pools.
nounA small lake or pool, especially in Ireland or Scotland. In Irish geography, the term often denotes a seasonal lake fed by underground springs.
- A small lake or pool, especially in Ireland or Scotland.
- An Irish seasonal lake that fills during the wet winter months and may become shallow or dry in summer.
"After the winter rains, a turlough beside the bog filled with clear water."
"Rainwater gathered in a shallow turlough near the bog."
"The limestone plateau contains several turloughs that fill each winter."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s.
"Several turloughs cover the limestone plain during the winter."
A turlough can be a lake in winter and nearly disappear in summer—Irish geography wears the seasons into its very vocabulary.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does turlough come from?
English borrowed the word from Irish turloch, meaning “pool” or “small lake.” Closely related forms include Scots turl and Scottish Gaelic turlach, which also refer to a pool or small body of water. The modern English spelling turlough reflects this Gaelic vocabulary, while the variant turlagh preserves another traditional Irish spelling.
Related word forms
How turlough is actually used
The word is uncommon in general English and is chiefly associated with Irish and Scottish geographical writing. Dictionaries vary in whether they restrict its use to Ireland or also recognize Scottish usage.