turnout
Meaning
the number of people who attend an event or vote in an election
the quantity or amount of something produced, especially by an industry or a worker
a wide area in a road that allows vehicles to pass or park
Structure
Usage
Voter turnout was exceptionally high for the presidential election.
The factory's daily turnout has increased since the new machinery was installed.
Use the next turnout to let the faster traffic behind you pass.
Etymology
The word 'turnout' is a transparent compound formed from the phrasal verb 'to turn out'. The core verb 'turn', with its Latin and Old English roots in the concept of rotating or changing direction, combines with the directional adverb 'out', which signifies emergence or a resulting state. This literal sense of "turning out" or "coming forth" evolved logically into its primary modern meanings. It first described the act of people coming out to assemble, hence "attendance," and by extension, the act of producing something, hence "output." The road-related meaning similarly derives from a space where one vehicle can "turn out" to let another pass.
Analysis
turn: From Old English turnian, tyrnan (to turn, rotate), from Latin tornare (to turn on a lathe). Functions as the core verb, indicating an action of change in direction or state. out: From Old English ūt (out, outside, away). Functions as an adverbial particle, indicating a direction away, a result, or a coming forth.