Phrase guide

snapping turtle

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of several large American freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae, which have powerful hooked jaws that close with a snap.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

large aggressive freshwater turtle with powerful jaws

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: turtle

Narrower terms: common snapping turtle, snapper, Chelydra serpentina, alligator snapping turtle, alligator snapper, Macroclemys temmincki

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: tortuga mossegadora — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鱷龜 /鳄龟 (èguī) — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Dutch: bijtschildpad — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Finnish: näykkijäkilpikonna — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • German: Alligatorschildkröte — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Hungarian: aligátorteknős — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Irish: turtar sclamhach — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Korean: 늑대거북 (neukdaegeobuk) — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Navajo: tsisteeł hashkéhé — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Ojibwe: mikinaak — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Polish: skorpucha — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Portuguese: tartaruga-mordedora — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Russian: кайма́новая черепа́ха (kajmánovaja čerepáxa) — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Spanish: tortuga mordedora — turtle of the family Chelydridae
  • Unami: pamputis — turtle of the family Chelydridae