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
The numbers showed that the zoo’s tortoises were far more drawn to interactions with people.
—
Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy Gabra Zackman Emma Kehlbeck Lance Neal, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The minimum density for the tortoises to remain viable is 3.9 adults per square kilometer, according to the report.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Larger tortoises are much more resistant to raven and coyote predation than smaller ones.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Changing conditions:Wildlife teams help tortoises survive various environments Feeding declines during this time, as the tortoises will only emerge from their burrows on warm winter days.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Aldabra tortoises, giraffes, elephants, kudu, bonobos, coatis and gorillas all headed toward their barns.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Will the tortoises find the mood for a little love?
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2024
In the tortoise leaf beetle Chelymorpha alternans, for example, a fungus called Fusarium—often found in crops like bananas and sweet potatoes—grows on the surface of beetle pupae during metamorphosis.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Animal adventures are just as likely here, with everything from burrows and fairy shrimp to mule deer, tortoise, and sheep.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy Gabra Zackman Emma Kehlbeck Lance Neal, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The minimum density for the tortoises to remain viable is 3.9 adults per square kilometer, according to the report.
—Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
Larger tortoises are much more resistant to raven and coyote predation than smaller ones.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024
Changing conditions:Wildlife teams help tortoises survive various environments Feeding declines during this time, as the tortoises will only emerge from their burrows on warm winter days.
—Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2024
The Aldabra tortoises, giraffes, elephants, kudu, bonobos, coatis and gorillas all headed toward their barns.
—Aliza Chasan, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2024
Will the tortoises find the mood for a little love?
—Matt Leclercq, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2024
In the tortoise leaf beetle Chelymorpha alternans, for example, a fungus called Fusarium—often found in crops like bananas and sweet potatoes—grows on the surface of beetle pupae during metamorphosis.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024
Animal adventures are just as likely here, with everything from burrows and fairy shrimp to mule deer, tortoise, and sheep.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortoise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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