tortoise

tor·toise  (tôrts)

n.

1.

a. Any of various terrestrial turtles, especially one of the family Testudinidae, characteristically having thick clublike hind limbs and a high, rounded carapace.

b. Chiefly British A terrestrial or freshwater chelonian.

2. One that moves slowly; a laggard.

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[Alteration (influenced by porpoise) of Middle English tortuce, from Medieval Latin tortca, alteration of Late Latin tartarcha, feminine of tartarchus, of the underworld; see turtle¹.]

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tortoise [ˈtɔːtəs]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any herbivorous terrestrial chelonian reptile of the family Testudinidae, of most warm regions, having a heavy dome-shaped shell and clawed limbs Related adjs chelonian, testudinal

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals)

water tortoise another name for terrapin

3. a slow-moving person

4. (Military / Arms & Armour (excluding Firearms)) another word for testudo See also giant tortoise

[probably from Old French tortue (influenced by Latin tortus twisted), from Medieval Latin tortūca, from Late Latin tartarūcha coming from Tartarus, from Greek tartaroukhos; referring to the belief that the tortoise originated in the underworld]

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tortoise

• shellpad - Another name for a tortoise.
• testudinate - Means "slow-moving; like a turtle," from Latin testudo, "tortoise," and also describes something curved or vaulted like a turtle shell.
• Galapagos Islands - Named for the massive tortoises living there, from Old Spanish galapago, "tortoise."
• turtle, tortoise, terrapin - Turtle is applied to those living in water and tortoise to those that live on land, while terrapins live in fresh water; turtle and tortoise may come from the Latin root tort, with reference to the animals' twisted feet.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

tortoise - usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica turtle - any of various aquatic and land reptiles having a bony shell and flipper-like limbs for swimming family Testudinidae, Testudinidae - land tortoises European tortoise, Testudo graeca - small land tortoise of southern Europe giant tortoise - very large tortoises of the Galapagos and Seychelles islands gopher tortoise, gopher turtle, Gopherus polypemus, gopher - burrowing edible land tortoise of southeastern North America desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii - burrowing tortoise of the arid western United States and northern Mexico; may be reclassified as a member of genus Xerobates Texas tortoise - close relative to the desert tortoise; may be reclassified as a member of genus Xerobates

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tortoise noun

Related words
adjectives chelonian, testudinal

see reptiles

Translations

tortoise [ˈtɔːtəs] N → tortuga f

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tortoise [ˈtɔː^rtəs] n → tortue f

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tortoise

n → Schildkröte f

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tortoise [ˈtɔːtəs] n → tartaruga

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tortoise

n tortoise [ˈtoːtəs]

a kind of four-footed, slow-moving reptile covered with a hard shell. skilpad سُلْحَفاه костенурка želva skildpadde die Schildkröte χελώνα tortuga kilpkonn لاک پشت kilpikonna tortue צַב कछुआ kornjača (szárazföldi) teknősbéka kura-kura skjaldbaka testuggine, tartaruga かめ 거북 vėžlys bruņurupucis kura-kura schildpad skilpadde żółw cágado broască ţestoasă черепаха korytnačka želva kornjača sköldpadda เต่า kara kamlumbağası 龜 черепаха کچھوا rùa cạn 龟

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tortoise → سُلحفاة želva skildpadde Schildkröte χελώνα tortuga kilpikonna tortue kornjača tartaruga カメ 거북이 schildpad skilpadde żółw tartaruga черепаха sköldpadda เต่า kaplumbağa con rùa 龟