tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯr-təs How to pronounce tortoise (audio)
1
: any of a family (Testudinidae) of terrestrial turtles
broadly : turtle
2
: someone or something regarded as slow or laggard

Examples of tortoise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Galapagos tortoises: The Riverbanks zoo has a group of 35 of the slow-moving giants which can reach 900 pounds and live for more than 150 years. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024 While Carewe’s renown extended well past his actual career, his baby brother Wallace was stealthy as a tortoise. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Rockbridge County will keep custody of four giraffes, 17 capuchins, 14 tortoises and one skink, among other animals. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Amazon vans have been known to make a unique sound when reversing, previously compared to an angry crow and tortoises making love. Thomas Brewster, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Other members of the group called on a local parish councillor who had raised tortoises and previously lived in Florida, Dominic Moule, a veterinarian surgeon at Wild Side Vets, told USA TODAY on Tuesday. Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024 King Charles’ youngest brother is the most recent member of the royal family to meet the 192-year-old tortoise. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024 The College Station Fire Department used the opportunity to share some interesting information about tortoises. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2024 Urbanization is the main threat to the tortoises, but timberland can be managed in a way that leaves room for them. Robert Kunzig, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortoise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tortu, tortuse, from Anglo-French tortue — more at turtle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tortoise was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tortoise

Cite this Entry

“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tortoise

noun
tor·​toise ˈtȯrt-əs How to pronounce tortoise (audio)
: turtle entry 2
especially : a land-dwelling turtle

More from Merriam-Webster on tortoise

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