tortoise

IPA/ˈtɔːtəs/
KK[tˈɔrtəs]IPA/ˈtɔːrtəs/

tortoise — noun

  • tortoisesingular
  • tortoisesplural

1. a land animal whose body is covered by a large, rounded shell. Tortoises can hid

1.nounA2
Definition

a land animal whose body is covered by a large, rounded shell. Tortoises can hide their legs, head, and tail inside the shell when they feel threatened. They eat plants, move at a very slow pace, and can live for more than a hundred years.

Example

The old tortoise slowly crossed the garden path while Linh watched from the kitchen window.

adverb + verb: slowly crossed

Eshe found a small tortoise hiding under a thick bush near the riverbank.

Common collocations
  • slow tortoise
  • giant tortoise
  • tortoise shell
  • keep a tortoise as a pet
  • tortoise habitat
Synonyms
  • turtle

    In American English, turtle is often used for both land and sea animals. In British English, turtle usually refers only to sea animals.

Usage Note

Frequently used as a countable noun. In British English, tortoise refers only to land turtles, while turtle is used for sea animals. In American English, the word turtle is often used for both groups.

Common Mistakes

I saw a tortoise swimming in the sea.
I saw a turtle swimming in the sea.
Tortoises live only on land and cannot swim; animals that live in the sea are called turtles.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tortoise, turtle, and terrapin all refer to shelled reptiles, but they differ in habitat and regional usage. Tortoise is the most specific term for land-dwelling species with domed shells and sturdy, club-like legs. Turtle is the broadest term, used for both land and sea species in American English, but restricted to sea animals in British English. Terrapin is less common in everyday English; it refers to small freshwater turtles, especially those found in brackish marshes. For a learner, the key distinction is: if the animal lives on land and cannot swim, call it a tortoise. If it lives in the sea or a lake, call it a turtle.

turtle ↗terrapin ↗tortoise ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • slow and steady
  • tortoise and the hare
  • pull into its shell

Prepositions

  • on land
  • under its shell
  • in its habitat

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word tortoise entered English through Old French tortue, which came from the medieval Latin word tortuca. This Latin word is thought to come from the Latin adjective tortus, meaning 'twisted' — possibly referring to the animal's bent, clawed feet. The shift from Latin to French to English took place around the 1400s.