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
Other wildlife, such as tortoises and river otters, is constantly present too, the couple said.
—
David Caraccio
updated July 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2026
Silva and Gere were each snapped underwater in scuba diving gear, with Silva waving to the camera and Gere swimming with a tortoise.
—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 July 2026
Keep your eyes peeled for bobcats, foxes, gopher tortoises, pileated woodpeckers, and bald eagles.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Some of the frame colors include ivory rock gloss, dark gray glass matte, light blue water matte, and brown tortoise gloss.
—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
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David Caraccio
updated July 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 July 2026
Silva and Gere were each snapped underwater in scuba diving gear, with Silva waving to the camera and Gere swimming with a tortoise.
—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
4 July 2026
Keep your eyes peeled for bobcats, foxes, gopher tortoises, pileated woodpeckers, and bald eagles.
—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
2 July 2026
Some of the frame colors include ivory rock gloss, dark gray glass matte, light blue water matte, and brown tortoise gloss.
—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for tortoise
Cite this Entry
“Tortoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tortoise. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tortoise
noun
tor·toise
ˈtȯrt-əs 
: turtle entry 2
especially
: a land-dwelling turtle
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