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 360-acre preserve adjacent to the LEC and Deltona Regional Library is home to a variety of wildlife, including Florida scrub jays and gopher tortoises, which are drawn to the low vegetation and sandy ridges of the scrub habitat.
—
Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 July 2025
Otherwise, experts say to leave the tortoise to its natural behavior.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
That cute little baby green iguana will soon be more than 5 feet long, and that golf ball-sized spurred tortoise will eventually tip the scales at more than 100 pounds.
—Samantha Winegarner, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
Outside the venue, tortoise sunglasses concealed her eyes.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
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Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 July 2025
Otherwise, experts say to leave the tortoise to its natural behavior.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 18 July 2025
That cute little baby green iguana will soon be more than 5 feet long, and that golf ball-sized spurred tortoise will eventually tip the scales at more than 100 pounds.
—Samantha Winegarner, Mercury News, 8 July 2025
Outside the venue, tortoise sunglasses concealed her eyes.
—Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 8 July 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 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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