tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯr-təs 

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

To get the tortoise’s DNA material, Jonathan’s veterinarian Joe Hollins pretended to feed him, wedged his mouth open with a hard glove and scraped cells from inside his cheek. — Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026

French mid-century chairs purchased in Paris in 1995 now live in the kitchen, vintage Anglepoise lamps sit atop bedside tables, and vintage tortoise shells hang from the library walls. — Tanya Fevzi, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026

So let’s grant the tortoise a head start, Zeno declared—say, a hundred yards. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026

In the Broncos’ 38-24 win at Albertsons Stadium, the home team was the slow-moving tortoise with its offensive drives, taking a successful, methodical approach. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 20 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English tortu, tortuse, from Anglo-French tortue — more at turtle

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing tortoise

• desert tortoise
• giant tortoise
• tortoise beetle

Rhymes for tortoise

• fortis
• mortis
• abortus

Kids Definition

tortoise

noun

tor·​toise ˈtȯrt-əs 

: turtle entry 2

especially : a land-dwelling turtle