turtle

Meaning

Noun

1. Any land or marine reptile of the order Testudines, characterised by a protective shell enclosing its body. See also tortoise.
2. A marine reptile of that order.
3. An Ancient Roman attack method, where the shields held by the soldiers hide them, not only left, right, front and back, but also from above.
4. A type of robot having a domed case (and so resembling the reptile), used in education, especially for making line drawings by means of a computer program.
5. An on-screen cursor that serves the same function as a turtle for drawing.
6. The curved plate in which the form is held in a type-revolving cylinder press.
7. A small element towards the end of a list of items to be bubble sorted, and thus tending to take a long time to be swapped into its correct position. Compare rabbit.
8. A breakdancing move consisting of a float during which the dancer's weight shifts from one hand to the other, producing rotation or a circular "walk".
9. A low stand for a lamp etc.

Verb

1. To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.
2. To move along slowly.
3. To turn and swim upside down.
4. To hunt turtles, especially in the water.
5. To build up a large defense force and strike only occasionally, rather than going for an offensive strategy.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈtɜːtl̩/

Etymology

Modification of Middle English tortou, tortu, from Old French tortüe (under the influence of Middle English turtel, turtur (“turtledove”), see Etymology 2 below), from Medieval Latin tortuca (compare Spanish tortuga), the same source of tortoise (see there for more). Displaced native Old English byrdling.