tortoise
Pluraltortoises
- 1A slow-moving land reptile that carries a hard shell and can pull its head and legs inside for safety.
Like a small animal that carries its own little house on its back.
The tortoise pulled its head into its shell when the dog came near.
We watched a tortoise slowly cross the garden path.
Note
- 2A movable wooden shelter on wheels that soldiers in the past hid under while attacking a wall.
Like a big shield on wheels that a whole group of people can walk behind.
The soldiers pushed the tortoise close to the gate and began to dig.
Arrows bounced off the roof of the tortoise as the men worked below.
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of tortoise apart? Answer 4 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
From Middle English tortuse, from Medieval Latin tortuca, whose origin is uncertain. It may come from a Greek word meaning 'holder of Tartarus' (the land of the dead), because people once thought tortoises came from the underworld.