turtle

n. a reptile with a thick, hard shell that protects its body. Many types live in the ocean, while others live on land.

n. any reptile of the order Testudines, characterized by a bony or leathery shell. In British English, the term often refers specifically to marine species.

“The sea turtle swam back to the ocean after laying its eggs in the sand.”

“Conservationists are working to protect the nesting grounds of the leatherback turtle, which faces threats from plastic pollution and rising sea levels.”

n. a small pointer or icon on a computer screen used for drawing lines in programming.

n. an on-screen cursor or a physical robot used in educational programming environments, such as Logo, to create vector graphics.

“The students learned how to move the turtle to draw a square on the screen.”

“By using simple commands like 'forward' and 'right', the children manipulated the turtle to generate complex geometric patterns.”

Technical

n. a type of candy made with chocolate, caramel, and nuts.

n. a confection typically composed of pecans and caramel dipped in chocolate, so named for its resemblance to the reptile's shell.

“She bought a box of chocolate turtles to share with her friends.”

“The artisanal bakery specializes in handmade turtles, using sea salt and dark chocolate to elevate the traditional recipe.”

American English

v. to flip over so that the bottom is facing up.

v. to capsize or turn upside down, particularly in the context of vehicles or boats.

“The small sailboat turtled when a sudden gust of wind hit the sail.”

“The off-road vehicle turtled after hitting a large rock, leaving the driver waiting for a tow truck to right it.”

Informal

v. to focus entirely on building a strong defense instead of attacking.

v. to adopt a highly defensive strategy in a video game, typically by fortifying a single position and avoiding offensive maneuvers.

“He decided to turtle and build up his army behind thick walls.”

“The player's tendency to turtle during the early game allowed his opponent to seize control of the map's resources without resistance.”

Slang