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
Out of the water, experts say rain and winds impact birds, tortoises, and many other species.
—
Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
In 2005, Goode established the Turtle Conservancy to house 250 rare tortoises that were displaced when the Bronx Zoo closed one of its research stations.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2024
Other excavations in recent years have uncovered a pregnant tortoise, an ancient construction site and a painting of a circular flatbread that resembles a pizza, among other finds.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
The pieces made of cotton and linen included prints of four celestial elements a dragon, a tiger, a tortoise and a bird.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise 
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Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
In 2005, Goode established the Turtle Conservancy to house 250 rare tortoises that were displaced when the Bronx Zoo closed one of its research stations.
—Lane Brown, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2024
Other excavations in recent years have uncovered a pregnant tortoise, an ancient construction site and a painting of a circular flatbread that resembles a pizza, among other finds.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024
The pieces made of cotton and linen included prints of four celestial elements a dragon, a tiger, a tortoise and a bird.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise
Dictionary Entries Near tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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