Illustration of leatherback
leatherback
noun
leath·er·back
ˈle-t͟hər-ˌbak 
: the largest existing sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) distinguished by its flexible carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones embedded in a thick leathery skin
Examples of leatherback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephanie’s work has taken her around the world; from camping on the Greenland Ice Sheet during a snowstorm and aurora hunting from the remote northern shores of Isle Royale National Park to monitoring nesting leatherback turtles alongside Indigenous conservationists on Panama’s Caribbean coast.
—
Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 6 Oct. 2025
But Florida is a nesting destination for endangered or threatened sea turtles, including loggerheads, green turtles, leatherbacks and Kemp’s Ridley turtles, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
And the magic of watching leatherback sea turtles, as old as the dinosaurs, swimming across vast oceans to nest their hatchlings on Galathea Bay’s pristine shore might soon fade into memory.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Wildlife, from endangered loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles to manatees is abundant.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leatherback
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stephanie Vermillion, Outside, 6 Oct. 2025
But Florida is a nesting destination for endangered or threatened sea turtles, including loggerheads, green turtles, leatherbacks and Kemp’s Ridley turtles, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports.
—Mark Price, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025
And the magic of watching leatherback sea turtles, as old as the dinosaurs, swimming across vast oceans to nest their hatchlings on Galathea Bay’s pristine shore might soon fade into memory.
—M. Rajshekhar, Time, 11 Sep. 2025
Wildlife, from endangered loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles to manatees is abundant.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for leatherback
Cite this Entry
“Leatherback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leatherback. Accessed 22 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
leatherback
noun
leath·er·back
ˈlet͟h-ər-ˌbak
: the largest existing sea turtle with a shell composed of small bones embedded in a thick leathery skin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share