Illustration of hawksbill turtle
hawksbill turtle
noun
hawks·bill turtle
ˈhȯks-ˌbil- 
variants
or hawksbill
: a small- to medium-sized sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) of warm waters that has a narrow hawk-like beak, an upper shell of overlapping horny plates, and usually two claws on each forelimb
Note: The hawksbill turtle feeds chiefly on sponges. Its mottled brownish upper shell was used especially formerly to produce tortoiseshell.
Examples of hawksbill turtle in a Sentence
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Nature Society Singapore has meanwhile expressed a range of environmental concerns, including the impact of land reclamation on the area’s horseshoe crabs, hawksbill turtles and nesting Malaysian plovers.
—
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 23 July 2025
To spy green sea and hawksbill turtles nesting, visit from July through October.
—AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
The hawksbill turtle, for instance, has declined so drastically that only 57,000 to 83,000 individuals remain worldwide.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Zigzagging rooftops nod to hawksbill turtle shells, and the beach house–style interiors have beds fringed by gauzy drapes bound with sisal rope and breezy bathrooms with terrazzo floors made from shell splinters and mother-of-pearl.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
Snorkel or scuba dive along the pristine reef to encounter 165 endemic fish species, playful dolphins, graceful hawksbill turtles and majestic stingrays.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Seven species of sea turtles — including loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles — nest and hatch on the powder-fine sands of Longboat Key from May through October.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Head to Pink Beach to swim with rays, schools of groupers, and hawksbill turtles in the undersea garden that grows there.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
In 2022, the group launched its See Shell App, which helps shoppers identify and avoid souvenirs made from the shells of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
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Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 23 July 2025
To spy green sea and hawksbill turtles nesting, visit from July through October.
—AFAR Media, 11 July 2025
The hawksbill turtle, for instance, has declined so drastically that only 57,000 to 83,000 individuals remain worldwide.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
Zigzagging rooftops nod to hawksbill turtle shells, and the beach house–style interiors have beds fringed by gauzy drapes bound with sisal rope and breezy bathrooms with terrazzo floors made from shell splinters and mother-of-pearl.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
Snorkel or scuba dive along the pristine reef to encounter 165 endemic fish species, playful dolphins, graceful hawksbill turtles and majestic stingrays.
—Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Seven species of sea turtles — including loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles — nest and hatch on the powder-fine sands of Longboat Key from May through October.
—Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2025
Head to Pink Beach to swim with rays, schools of groupers, and hawksbill turtles in the undersea garden that grows there.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
In 2022, the group launched its See Shell App, which helps shoppers identify and avoid souvenirs made from the shells of the hawksbill turtle, an endangered species.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hawksbill turtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hawksbill%20turtle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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