tortoise

Meaning

1. Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae (chiefly Canada, US) or the order Testudines (chiefly UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India), whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.
2. Synonym of cat (sense 11, a wheeled shelter)

Synonyms

turtle

🐢

sea turtle

land turtle

terrapin

namely

chelonian

fish

🐟

Rama

land-turtle

Buddha

dwarf

hog

Translations

tortue

tortuga

🐢

Schildkröte

🐢

schildpad

tartaruga

🐢

tartaruga

🐢

χελώνα

kaplumbağa

🐢

tortuga

🐢

testudo

chelys

testuggine

Landschildkröte

سلحفاة

🐢

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɔɹ.təs/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: tortuse

In summary

From Middle English tortuse, tortuce, tortuge, from Medieval Latin tortuca, of uncertain origin. May be from Late Latin tartarūcha, from tartarūchus, from Ancient Greek ταρταροῦχος (tartaroûkhos, “holder of Tartaros, Tartarus, the land of the dead in ancient stories”), because it used to be thought that tortoises and turtles came from the underworld and they were commonly paired with such infernal beasts; see Τάρταρος (Tártaros). Or, from Latin tortus (“twisted”). The French-looking Modern English spelling tortoise may be influenced by porpoise. Displaced native Old English byrdling.