Word
tortoise
Phoneticstor·toise
US/ˈtɔɹtəs/
UK/tˈɔːtəs/
Definition
n. a slow-moving animal with a hard shell that lives on land. Unlike turtles, they do not live in the water.
n. a terrestrial reptile of the family Testudinidae, characterised by a heavy, domed shell and stumpy, elephant-like feet.
Examples
“The tortoise moved slowly across the garden.”
“Because a tortoise lives entirely on land, it lacks the flippers or webbed feet found in its aquatic relatives.”
“The giant tortoise is famous for its remarkable longevity, with some individuals documented to have lived for over a century and a half in protected island habitats.”
Examples
simple
“The tortoise moved slowly across the garden.”
contextual
“Because a tortoise lives entirely on land, it lacks the flippers or webbed feet found in its aquatic relatives.”
complex
“The giant tortoise is famous for its remarkable longevity, with some individuals documented to have lived for over a century and a half in protected island habitats.”
Usage
Often distinguished from 'turtle' in British English, where 'turtle' refers specifically to sea-dwelling species.
Pitfall
The tortoise swam in the sea
The turtle swam in the sea
Tortoises are strictly land-dwelling animals; aquatic species are called turtles.
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, “holder of Tartaros, Tartarus, the land of the dead in ancient stories”), 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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tortoise