TURNHOUT, a town of Belgium, in the province of Antwerp, 25 miles east-north-east from Antwerp and 6 from the Dutch frontier, stands in the middle of a wide plain. It is a prosperous manufacturing and commercial centre, the chief industries being the weaving of cottons and linens (especially ticking), lace-making, paper-making, brick-making, dyeing, bleaching; there is also an establishment for the rearing of leeches. The population of the commune in 1876 was 15,743.