tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯr-təs How to pronounce tortoise (audio)
1
: any of a family (Testudinidae) of terrestrial turtles
broadly : turtle
2
: someone or something regarded as slow or laggard

Examples of tortoise in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The 360-acre preserve adjacent to the LEC and Deltona Regional Library is home to a variety of wildlife, including Florida scrub jays and gopher tortoises, which are drawn to the low vegetation and sandy ridges of the scrub habitat. Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2025 Bezos clearly believes Blue Origin is the tortoise that will win the space race. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2025 Most cats would generally just be interested in observing a tortoise rather than wanting to do it harm. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025 The national seashore is made up of a series of parks, beaches, and islands, split between Florida and Mississippi, and all surrounded by clear, aqua-blue waters that are home to gopher tortoises, bottlenose dolphins, starfish, crabs…and the 300 species of birds that migrate through the area. Graham Averill, Outside Online, 4 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tortoise

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tortu, tortuse, from Anglo-French tortue — more at turtle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tortoise was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

tortoise

noun
tor·​toise ˈtȯrt-əs How to pronounce tortoise (audio)
: turtle entry 2
especially : a land-dwelling turtle

More from Merriam-Webster on tortoise

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