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
The hare may win the race in life, but the tortoise definitely gets the better lash curl.
—
Iman Balagam, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
Bi modelled the monster after the way fetuses look on ultrasounds, at once aged and infantile, and had his designers make the Deliriant hunched over, bearing a tortoise-like shell on his back.
—Dennis Zhou, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
This hardside case comes in a handful of stunning colors, including an elegant tortoise-shell print.
—Ali Faccenda, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
The only exception is for instances where the tortoise may be at risk of getting hit by a car.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
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Iman Balagam, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
Bi modelled the monster after the way fetuses look on ultrasounds, at once aged and infantile, and had his designers make the Deliriant hunched over, bearing a tortoise-like shell on his back.
—Dennis Zhou, New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2025
This hardside case comes in a handful of stunning colors, including an elegant tortoise-shell print.
—Ali Faccenda, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
The only exception is for instances where the tortoise may be at risk of getting hit by a car.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 1 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 20 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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