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, Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2024
In the photo, Grace stands between Irwin and her dad Chandler Powell, 27, holding out a bunch of greens for a tortoise to munch on.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
But before construction began in 2023, some 106 gopher tortoises – Georgia's state reptile – were collected and transported about 30 miles to the Fort Stewart Army base.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
One of the requirements is to build a tortoise burrow in your yard and AZGFD will tell you how to do that.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise 
Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 3 July 2024
In the photo, Grace stands between Irwin and her dad Chandler Powell, 27, holding out a bunch of greens for a tortoise to munch on.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 July 2024
But before construction began in 2023, some 106 gopher tortoises – Georgia's state reptile – were collected and transported about 30 miles to the Fort Stewart Army base.
—John Riley, USA TODAY, 29 June 2024
One of the requirements is to build a tortoise burrow in your yard and AZGFD will tell you how to do that.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortoise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share