turtle
Pluralturtles
Verbturtles, turtling, turtled
Pluralturtles
Formsturtles, turtling, turtled
- 1A reptile with a hard shell covering its body. In British English it usually means one that lives in the sea.
Like wearing a hard helmet that protects your whole body.
We saw a turtle resting on a log by the pond.
Some turtles live for more than a hundred years.
- 2A small candy made of pecans, caramel, and chocolate.
Grandma keeps a box of turtles next to her reading chair.
Dad always saves the last chocolate turtle in the box for Mom.
Note
- 3To turn over so the top or back is underneath. To end up upside down.
Like a pancake flipped over in a pan.
Our canoe turtled when we leaned too far to one side.
Light boats can turtle in strong wind, so always wear a life jacket.
UsagePeople also say a boat turned turtle.
Similarcapsize, overturn, flip
Note
Less common meanings
- 4A small wild dove with a soft, purring call.
As the turtle, every day has been a black day with her since her husband died, and what should we unruly members make here?
1613, John Marston, William BarkstedHere, turtle means a turtle dove, a small gentle dove.Note
- 5A small robot or screen pointer that draws lines as a computer program moves it, used to teach programming.
Like a pen on the screen that you steer by typing simple commands.
Type the command and the turtle draws a square on the screen.
She moved the turtle forward fifty steps to begin her drawing.
Note
- 6A way Roman soldiers moved in battle, holding their shields together over their heads and around their sides like a shell.
Like a group of people holding umbrellas together to make one big roof.
The legion formed a turtle and marched slowly toward the city gate.
Arrows bounced off the turtle as the soldiers crept forward.
Similartestudo
Note
- 7To go out catching turtles, often from a boat or in the water.
The islanders turtle at night, when the big ones come up to breathe.
Grandpa turtled off the southern shore every summer, selling the meat in town.
Note
- 8To move along very slowly.
We turtled along in Manitoba, back into the heart of the prairies.
2012, Sophie B. Watson, Cadillac Couches - 9In a game, to defend with strong walls or forces and almost never attack.
- 10A breakdance move where the dancer balances on the hands and turns in a slow circle.
- 11In computer sorting, a small item near the end of a list that takes many steps to reach its place.
- 12A short, low stand that holds a light close to the floor.
- 13A curved metal plate that held the type in an old kind of printing press.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
It comes from an Old French word 'tortüe', from an older word 'tortuga' (compare Medieval Latin 'tortuca'). It is the same source as 'tortoise'.
It comes from Old English 'turtle', meaning turtledove, and ultimately from Latin 'turtur'.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Turtle in the turtledove sense derives from Old English 'turtle'. en.wiktionary.org
- Old English 'turtle' meant turtledove. en.wiktionary.org
- The word ultimately derives from Latin 'turtur'. en.wiktionary.org