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
With a tortoise in tow, the new naturalist will be spending time in the Sunken Garden, ready to answer questions and take suggestions.
—
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 June 2024
Forty-something of those tortoises were eaten by badgers right away.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
There’s a quote somewhere about the passage of time, maybe said by a wise tortoise.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2024
Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.
2012: Lonesome George Dies
George was a Pinta Island tortoise.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Dec. 2016
See all Example Sentences for tortoise 
Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 20 June 2024
Forty-something of those tortoises were eaten by badgers right away.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
There’s a quote somewhere about the passage of time, maybe said by a wise tortoise.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2024
Read more about it in the Foreign Affairs archive.
2012: Lonesome George Dies
George was a Pinta Island tortoise.
—Foreign Affairs, 28 Dec. 2016
See all Example Sentences for tortoise
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tortoise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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