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
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
Patterns woven in natural crimson dyes by artists from the Ayoreo tribe cover the walls; wooden tortoises and tapirs, carved by Aché artisans, feature mythological scenes carefully burned into the cedar.
—Laurence Blair, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Northern spider tortoises are a critically endangered species.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024
Following totality, all tortoises gazed up at the sky.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
Barnaby the Aldabra tortoise is 85 years old, weighs nearly 500 pounds and is the oldest resident at the Blank Park Zoo, according to a March 23 Facebook post.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Koala bears, flamingos, a tortoise and an orangutan with an endangered butterfly on its finger also are depicted on the float, which will greet parade watchers with wildlife sounds, including the loud roar of a lion.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2023
Galapagos tortoises: The Riverbanks zoo has a group of 35 of the slow-moving giants which can reach 900 pounds and live for more than 150 years.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2024
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
Patterns woven in natural crimson dyes by artists from the Ayoreo tribe cover the walls; wooden tortoises and tapirs, carved by Aché artisans, feature mythological scenes carefully burned into the cedar.
—Laurence Blair, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024
Northern spider tortoises are a critically endangered species.
—Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2024
Following totality, all tortoises gazed up at the sky.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 25 Mar. 2024
Barnaby the Aldabra tortoise is 85 years old, weighs nearly 500 pounds and is the oldest resident at the Blank Park Zoo, according to a March 23 Facebook post.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 25 Mar. 2024
Koala bears, flamingos, a tortoise and an orangutan with an endangered butterfly on its finger also are depicted on the float, which will greet parade watchers with wildlife sounds, including the loud roar of a lion.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Dec. 2023
Galapagos tortoises: The Riverbanks zoo has a group of 35 of the slow-moving giants which can reach 900 pounds and live for more than 150 years.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 3 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 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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