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
As a sulcata tortoise, Tankie does not hibernate, according to an article from MedVet.
—
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Many Americans consider their cats, dogs, tortoises or other animals to be part of their family, and their spending on those nonhuman relatives is immense.
—Allison Anna Tait, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2025
Each pair is available in tortoise, gray and black.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
Two tortoises taken from the Indianapolis Zoo have been found and were unharmed, Indiana State Police said.
—Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
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Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Many Americans consider their cats, dogs, tortoises or other animals to be part of their family, and their spending on those nonhuman relatives is immense.
—Allison Anna Tait, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2025
Each pair is available in tortoise, gray and black.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025
Two tortoises taken from the Indianapolis Zoo have been found and were unharmed, Indiana State Police said.
—Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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