tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯr-təs 

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

Your littlest charges will marvel at the size of the camels, tortoises and giraffes lumbering about the zoo’s meandering paths, and then eagerly pet goats and sheep in the farmyard. —Susan McDonald, The Providence Journal, 26 Mar. 2026

The preserve includes a 4,200-square-foot lodge , multiple guest accommodations and a private collection of animals — east African plains zebras, 75-year-old sulcata tortoises, African Watusi cattle, ostriches and more — that are available to transfer with the sale. —David Caraccio march 21, Sacbee.com, 21 Mar. 2026

The lizards also pose risks to endangered or threatened species, such as sea turtles, wading birds, gopher tortoises, and the American crocodile. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026

Chase scenes through the jungle and an FBI raid on a clinic providing treatment to the poor are united by the series’s overarching alignment with David against big pharma’s Goliath, an identity that feels as essential to the show as cutie creatures like Marshall’s tortoise Socrates. —Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tortu, tortuse, from Anglo-French tortue — more at turtle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tortoise

• desert tortoise
• giant tortoise
• tortoise beetle

Rhymes for tortoise

• fortis
• mortis
• abortus

Kids Definition

tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯrt-əs 

: turtle entry 2

especially : a land-dwelling turtle