noun · 3 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
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General-American:/ˈtɔɹ.təs/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈtɔː.təs/
UK, also:/ˈtɔːˌtɔɪs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)təs
CMU ARPABET:T AO1 R T AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae (chiefly Canada, US) or the order Testudines (chiefly UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India), whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shellpad
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Synonym of cat (sense 11, a wheeled shelter)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cat
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
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, literally “holder of Tartarus [the land of the damned dead in Greek myths]”), 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.
Across languages
Translations
189 source translations are retained for this English entry.
