1350–1400; variant of earlier (15th-century) tortuse, tortose, tortuce,Middle English tortuca<Medieval Latin tortūca, for Late Latin tartarūcha (feminine adj.) of Tartarus (<Greek tartaroûcha), the tortoise being regarded as an infernal animal; Medieval Latin form influenced by Latin tortus crooked, twisted (see tort)
The team identified genes possibly involved in the tuatara’s biological quirks including their long lives, which are the longest of any other reptiles besides tortoises.
How tuatara live so long and can withstand cool weather|Jake Buehler|August 5, 2020|Science News
At this point, you just needed to determine when the tortoise had finished 20 percent of the race.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Last week, the tortoise and the hare were about to begin a 10-mile race along a “stretch” of road.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
To better understand this, let’s take a closer look at the tortoise over time.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Once this sum exceeded 10, the tortoise was guaranteed to have finished the race.
Are You A Pinball Wizard?|Zach Wissner-Gross|July 24, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Tortoise disqualified for technical reasons, first place awarded to Sputnik hare.
Why Does the USA Depend on Russian Rockets to Get Us Into Space?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tortoise Hollande, early on in his bid to become the Socialist nominee, had only two reporters on his beat.
Against All Odds, Can Sarkozy Pull Out an Election Win vs. Hollande?|Tracy McNicoll|May 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Pattinson may be the tortoise to Lautner's hare.
Is He Sabotaging His Career?|Kim Masters|March 9, 2010|DAILY BEAST
She is married with two children, two dogs, a cat and a tortoise.
Revenge of the Wallflower|Fiona Golfar|June 23, 2009|DAILY BEAST
So without more ado she followed the way the tortoise had gone, and came to the school.
Rumanian Bird and Beast Stories|Anonymous
Peter Walsh was hoisting a sail, a gunter lug, on the Tortoise.
Priscilla's Spies|George A. Birmingham
He set to work to make a musical instrument, using the shell of a tortoise for the body and placing strings across it.
How the Piano Came to Be|Ellye Howell Glover
The elephant and tortoise of the Hindu earth are, no doubt, emblematic or typical, not literal.
Pioneers of Science|Oliver Lodge
And after the tortoise had said all this, there came from the celestial regions a car.
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Bk. 3 Pt. 2|Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
British Dictionary definitions for tortoise
tortoise
/ (ˈtɔːtəs) /
noun
any herbivorous terrestrial chelonian reptile of the family Testudinidae, of most warm regions, having a heavy dome-shaped shell and clawed limbsRelated adjectives: chelonian, testudinal
water tortoise another name for terrapin
a slow-moving person
another word for testudo See also giant tortoise
Word Origin for tortoise
C15: probably from Old French tortue (influenced by Latin tortus twisted), from Medieval Latin tortūca, from Late Latin tartarūcha coming from Tartarus, from Greek tartaroukhos; referring to the belief that the tortoise originated in the underworld