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
Walk the trails, look for birds and tortoises, and admire native plants and trees.
—
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Along with hawksbill and green sea turtles, the island is home to over 150 giant Aldaba tortoises who roam freely, under the protection of the Island Conservation Society.
—Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
Planning is for those who want to be left behind, the tortoise gets run roughshod by the hare.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The hare may win the race in life, but the tortoise definitely gets the better lash curl.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
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.
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
Along with hawksbill and green sea turtles, the island is home to over 150 giant Aldaba tortoises who roam freely, under the protection of the Island Conservation Society.
—Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
Planning is for those who want to be left behind, the tortoise gets run roughshod by the hare.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
The hare may win the race in life, but the tortoise definitely gets the better lash curl.
—Iman Balagam, Vogue, 12 Dec. 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 3 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share