box turtle

noun

1

: any of several North American land turtles (genus Terrapene) capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the lower half

called also box tortoise

2

: any of several chiefly semiaquatic, Asian turtles (genera Cuora and Pyxidea of the family Geoemydidae) that have a carapace with a median keel and are capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the plastron

Note: The Asian box turtles are not closely related to the North American box turtles.

Illustration of box turtle

Examples of box turtle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Birds, box turtles, salamanders, toads, frogs, and scores of beloved invertebrates such as fireflies, bees, butterflies, and moths, all rely on leaf litter for shelter. —Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2025

Two eastern box turtles were born as conjoined twins at the Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center of Roanoke, where the reptiles also underwent an operation hours after birth to be surgically separated. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

Eastern box turtles are slow to mature and can live for several decades, sometimes over 50 years. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Sep. 2025

While the eastern box turtle is not considered an endangered species nationally, some states — including Michigan, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut — have listed it as a species of special concern, according to the National Wildlife Federation. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for box turtle

• fertile
• hurtle
• kirtle
• myrtle
• infertile

Kids Definition

box turtle

noun

: any of several North American land turtles able to withdraw completely into the shell and to close it by hinged joints in the lower shell