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
For more than 30 years, the organization has helped rehome turtles and tortoises, animals that inhabit every continent—except Antarctica—with the United States boasting the greatest number of turtle species.
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Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
Animal care staff from the Indianapolis Zoo will be on hand after the race to answer guest's questions about tortoises.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise 
Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
Animal care staff from the Indianapolis Zoo will be on hand after the race to answer guest's questions about tortoises.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 20 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for tortoise
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Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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