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plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn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
Alana Wise, NPR, 6 June 2025
Lee, known for his speed and skills in martial arts, was transformed into a ninja turtle.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Schreiber takes his three children to the Center and on nature walks led by Sabin to find turtles and salamanders in the woods.
—Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025
Like salamanders, turtle populations can be severely impacted by being run over while trying to cross roads.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for turtle
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Noun
Dilly Dally, like other turtles treated and re-released by the LMC, will be tracked via satellite attached to her shell to chart her movements and monitor her re-acclimation to living in the wild.
—Alana Wise, NPR, 6 June 2025
Lee, known for his speed and skills in martial arts, was transformed into a ninja turtle.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 June 2025
Schreiber takes his three children to the Center and on nature walks led by Sabin to find turtles and salamanders in the woods.
—Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025
Like salamanders, turtle populations can be severely impacted by being run over while trying to cross roads.
—Noël Fletcher, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for turtle
Cite this Entry
“Turtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/turtle. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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a toothless horny beak and a bony shell which encloses the body and into which the head, legs, and tail usually may be withdrawn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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