plural turtles also turtle
often attributive
: any of an order (Testudines synonym Chelonia) of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reptiles that have a toothless horny beak and a shell of bony dermal plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn
archaic
Examples of turtle in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jayson Rodriguez, Variety, 18 Nov. 2024
The whale is a cartoonish bright blue, and sits on an idyllic pond full of fish and turtles.
—Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Overhead, a menagerie of developmental detachable toys, including a wiggly octopus, chiming turtle with mirror, crinkly sea star, squeaker crab, and chiming manta ray beckon little hands and feet and promote hand-eye coordination.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Their descriptions of stillborn babies are similar; both use creatures like insects and turtles as metaphors for the migrants’ plight.
—Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024
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Noun
The turtles’ struggle to reach the water ultimately strengthens their muscles.
—Jayson Rodriguez, Variety, 18 Nov. 2024
The whale is a cartoonish bright blue, and sits on an idyllic pond full of fish and turtles.
—Dan Sheehan, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Overhead, a menagerie of developmental detachable toys, including a wiggly octopus, chiming turtle with mirror, crinkly sea star, squeaker crab, and chiming manta ray beckon little hands and feet and promote hand-eye coordination.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Their descriptions of stillborn babies are similar; both use creatures like insects and turtles as metaphors for the migrants’ plight.
—Mark Athitakis, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for turtle
Dictionary Entries Near turtle
Cite this Entry
“Turtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turtle. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
turtle
1 of 2 noun
tur·tle
ˈtərt-ᵊl 
archaic
turtle
2 of 2 noun
plural turtles also turtle
: any of an order of land, freshwater, and marine reptiles with a toothless horny beak and a bony shell which encloses the body and into which the head, legs, and tail usually may be withdrawn
Etymology
Noun
Old English turtla "turtledove," from Latin turtur (same meaning)
Noun
derived from French tortue "tortoise, turtle," from Latin tartaruchus "of Tartarus (part of Hades reserved for the wicked)," from Greek tartarouchos (same meaning)
Medical Definition
turtle
noun
tur·tle
ˈtərt-ᵊl
plural turtles also turtle
often attributive
: any of an order (Testudines) of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reptiles that have a toothless horny beak and a shell of bony dermal plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn
called also chelonian
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