tortoise en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈtɔɹ.təs/ (General-American)
- /ˈtɔːˌtɔɪs/ (UK, also)
- (US) audio
- /ˈtɔː.təs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English tortuse, tortuce, tortuge, from Medieval Latin tortuca, of uncertain origin. May be from Late Latin tartarūcha, from tartarūchus, from Ancient Greek ταρταροῦχος (tartaroûkhos, literally “holder of Tartarus [the land of the damned dead in Greek myths]”), because it used to be thought that tortoises and turtles came from the underworld and they were commonly paired with such infernal beasts; see Τάρταρος (Tártaros). Or, from Latin tortus (“twisted”). The French-looking Modern English spelling tortoise may be influenced by porpoise. Displaced native Old English byrdling.
Meanings
-
Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae (chiefly Canada, US) or the order Testudines (chiefly UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India), whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.
The tortoise, with its characteristic protrusion of the head and neck, was a symbol sacred to Venus. It represented the procreative principle.
1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 235:
- Synonym of cat (sense 11, a wheeled shelter)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tortoises | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Horsfield's tortoise · sea tortoise · Galápagos giant tortoise · hinge-back tortoise · Madagascar tortoise · hinged-back tortoise · tortoise-like · soft tortoise · Floreana giant tortoise · tortoise-shell · ploughshare tortoise · tortoise core · tortoiseshell · tortoise-shell bamboo · geometric tortoise · tortoise shell · Burmese star tortoise · boofhead tortoise · elephantine tortoise · golden tortoise beetle · tortoise beetle · pancake tortoise · Charles Island giant tortoise · hinged tortoise · tortoise shell bracket · sculptured tortoise · radiated tortoise · red-footed tortoise · Hermann's tortoise · giant tortoise · tortoiselike · Galapagos tortoise · Galápagos tortoise · Indian star tortoise · angonoka tortoise · Santa Fe Island tortoise · desert tortoise · leopard tortoise · red tortoise cake · gopher tortoise · African spurred tortoise · Galapagos giant tortoise · Aldabra giant tortoise · Bolson tortoise
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (189)
hsb želwja (land-dwelling reptile) · ga toirtís (land-dwelling reptile) · br baot (land-dwelling reptile) · zza kesa (diq) (land-dwelling reptile) · pt jabuti (land-dwelling reptile) · sv sköldpadda (land-dwelling reptile) · gl sapoconcho (land-dwelling reptile) · es tortuga (land-dwelling reptile) · ja 亀 (land-dwelling reptile) · kxv ତାମ୍ବେଲି (land-dwelling reptile) · arc סלופּי (land-dwelling reptile) · id kura-kura (land-dwelling reptile) · lv bruņurupucis (land-dwelling reptile) · pl żółw lądowy (land-dwelling reptile) · grc χελώνη (land-dwelling reptile) · hsb nopawa (land-dwelling reptile) · nrf tortue (land-dwelling reptile) · tg сангпушт (land-dwelling reptile) · mic migjigj (land-dwelling reptile) · mel kejaa (land-dwelling reptile) · tr tosbağa (land-dwelling reptile) · izh cerepaha (land-dwelling reptile) · lb Landdeckelsmouk (land-dwelling reptile) · yi טשערעפּאַכע (land-dwelling reptile) · oc tartuga (land-dwelling reptile) · rup broascã tsãstoasã (land-dwelling reptile) · sw kobe (land-dwelling reptile) · apc زِلْحفِة (land-dwelling reptile) · hu teknős (land-dwelling reptile) · nv chʼééh digháhii (land-dwelling reptile) · br baoted (land-dwelling reptile) · ajp كركعة (land-dwelling reptile) · pdt Schiltkjrät (land-dwelling reptile) · nb skilpadde (land-dwelling reptile) · fr tortue (land-dwelling reptile) · kxu ସେମ୍ବି (land-dwelling reptile) · ug ташпақа (land-dwelling reptile) · vi rùa (land-dwelling reptile) · km អណ្ដើក (land-dwelling reptile) · cy crwban (land-dwelling reptile) · ta ஆமை (land-dwelling reptile) · ko 거북 (land-dwelling reptile) · cmn 龜 /龟 (land-dwelling reptile) · bn কাছিম (land-dwelling reptile) · fy skyldpod (land-dwelling reptile) · ml ആമ (land-dwelling reptile) · sv landsköldpadda (land-dwelling reptile) · sne diya (land-dwelling reptile) · ang landbyrdling (land-dwelling reptile) · kqr landang (land-dwelling reptile) · kw kronek ervys (land-dwelling reptile) · dsb žołw (land-dwelling reptile) · la testūdō terrestris (land-dwelling reptile) · sa कमठ (land-dwelling reptile) · af skilpad (land-dwelling reptile) · ro broască țestoasă (land-dwelling reptile) · hi कछुआ (land-dwelling reptile) · mr कासव (land-dwelling reptile) · roa-tar celóne (land-dwelling reptile) · ar سُلَحْفَاة (land-dwelling reptile) · mvv babag (land-dwelling reptile) · fa باخه (land-dwelling reptile) · sl kopenska želva (land-dwelling reptile) · srn sekrepatu (land-dwelling reptile) · gd sligeanach (land-dwelling reptile) · te తాబేలు (land-dwelling reptile) · el χελώνα (land-dwelling reptile) · is landskjaldbaka (land-dwelling reptile) · nb landskilpadde (land-dwelling reptile) · lt vėžlys (land-dwelling reptile) · ms kura-kura (land-dwelling reptile) · fi kilpikonna (land-dwelling reptile) · scn scurzària (land-dwelling reptile) · ca tortuga (land-dwelling reptile) · it tartaruga (land-dwelling reptile) · cu желꙑ (land-dwelling reptile) · ba гөбөргәйел (land-dwelling reptile) · pi kacchapa (land-dwelling reptile) · tr kaplumbağa (land-dwelling reptile) · tum fulu (land-dwelling reptile) · vo tortug (land-dwelling reptile) · ajp سلحفة (land-dwelling reptile) · uz toshbaqa (land-dwelling reptile) · ur کچھوا (land-dwelling reptile) · cmn 陸龜 /陆龟 (land-dwelling reptile) · ru желвь (land-dwelling reptile) · grc κλεμμύς (land-dwelling reptile) · yi שילדקרויט (land-dwelling reptile) · ak akyekyedeɛ (land-dwelling reptile) · orv желꙑ (land-dwelling reptile) · cs želva (land-dwelling reptile) · cmn 草龜 /草龟 (land-dwelling reptile) · so diindiin (land-dwelling reptile) · id penyu (land-dwelling reptile) · bg костену́рка (land-dwelling reptile) · tay ksipa (land-dwelling reptile) · ug تاشپاقا (land-dwelling reptile) · sq breshkë (land-dwelling reptile) · uk черепа́ха (land-dwelling reptile) · da skildpadde (land-dwelling reptile) · kk тасбақа (land-dwelling reptile) · arz سُلْحِفة (land-dwelling reptile) · th เต่า (land-dwelling reptile) · es morrocota (land-dwelling reptile) · ba ташбаҡа (land-dwelling reptile) · mvv buu (land-dwelling reptile) · he שַׁלְחוּפָה (land-dwelling reptile) · ko 땅거북 (land-dwelling reptile) · it testuggine (land-dwelling reptile) · nah āyotl (land-dwelling reptile) · fa لاکپشت (land-dwelling reptile) · nl schildpad (land-dwelling reptile) · ig mbeku (land-dwelling reptile) · ckb کیسەڵ (land-dwelling reptile) · br baot douar (land-dwelling reptile) · nn skjelpadde (land-dwelling reptile) · gd crùban-coille (land-dwelling reptile) · pl żółw (land-dwelling reptile) · ja カメ (land-dwelling reptile) · mk желка (land-dwelling reptile) · dsb nopawa (land-dwelling reptile) · ang byrdling (land-dwelling reptile) · io tortugo (land-dwelling reptile) · ka კუ (land-dwelling reptile) · de Landschildkröte (land-dwelling reptile) · es tequeteque (land-dwelling reptile) · txb kaccāp (land-dwelling reptile) · es morrocoyo (land-dwelling reptile) · ota كشف (land-dwelling reptile) · dtp buu (land-dwelling reptile) · ast tortuga (land-dwelling reptile) · dv ކަހަނބު (land-dwelling reptile) · ps کيشپ (land-dwelling reptile) · pt tartaruga (land-dwelling reptile) · bdr kekuro (land-dwelling reptile) · cmn 烏龜 /乌龟 (land-dwelling reptile) · ja 陸亀 (land-dwelling reptile) · pt cágado (land-dwelling reptile) · he צָב (land-dwelling reptile) · nn landskjelpadde (land-dwelling reptile) · mt fekruna (land-dwelling reptile) · hy կրիա (land-dwelling reptile) · de Schildkröte (land-dwelling reptile) · es morrocoy (land-dwelling reptile) · sl želva (land-dwelling reptile) · kw melhwioges (land-dwelling reptile) · az tısbağa (land-dwelling reptile) · ks کٔچھوٕ (land-dwelling reptile) · sa कच्छप (land-dwelling reptile) · tn khudu (land-dwelling reptile) · es galápago (land-dwelling reptile) · ru черепа́ха (land-dwelling reptile) · rup broascã (land-dwelling reptile) · akk 𒃻𒅮𒈾 (land-dwelling reptile) · et kilpkonn (land-dwelling reptile) · hu teknősbéka (land-dwelling reptile) · sh kornjača (land-dwelling reptile) · kl saaniluk (land-dwelling reptile) · bo རུས་སྦལ (land-dwelling reptile) · gl tartaruga (land-dwelling reptile) · kn ಆಮೆ (land-dwelling reptile) · mi honuwhenua (land-dwelling reptile) · kn ಕೂರ್ಮ (land-dwelling reptile) · fro wecle (land-dwelling reptile) · ro țestoasă (land-dwelling reptile) · kw kroban (land-dwelling reptile) · zai bigu (land-dwelling reptile) · gv shligganagh (land-dwelling reptile) · ky ташбака (land-dwelling reptile) · es tortuga terrestre (land-dwelling reptile) · ko 거북이 (land-dwelling reptile) · eo testudo (land-dwelling reptile) · la testūdō (land-dwelling reptile) · rsk коритнявка (land-dwelling reptile) · sh корњача (land-dwelling reptile) · acw سلحفة (land-dwelling reptile) · mt fkieren (land-dwelling reptile) · mn яст мэлхий (land-dwelling reptile) · sk korytnačka (land-dwelling reptile) · be чарапа́ха (land-dwelling reptile) · lo ເຕົ່າ (land-dwelling reptile) · fi maakilpikonna (land-dwelling reptile) · ta ஓடன் (land-dwelling reptile) · tl pagong (land-dwelling reptile) · wyi bundaban (land-dwelling reptile) · ajp سلحفة (land-dwelling reptile) · my လိပ် (land-dwelling reptile) · is skjaldbaka (land-dwelling reptile) · tk pyşbaga (land-dwelling reptile)