terrapin

ter·ra·pin

T0120100 (tĕr′ə-pĭn)n.1. See diamondback terrapin.2. Chiefly British A turtle that lives in fresh or brackish water.

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[Alteration of torope, from Virginia Algonquian.]

terrapin

(ˈtɛrəpɪn) n (Animals) any of various web-footed chelonian reptiles that live on land and in fresh water and feed on small aquatic animals: family Emydidae. Also called: water tortoise [C17: of Algonquian origin; compare Delaware torope turtle]

ter•ra•pin

(ˈtɛr ə pɪn)

n. any of several edible North American turtles of the family Emydidae, inhabiting fresh or brackish waters, esp. the diamondback terrapin. [1665–75, Amer.; earlier torope < Eastern Algonquian *to·rəpe·w variety of turtle]

turtle, tortoise, terrapin - Turtle is applied to those living in water and tortoise to those that live on land, while terrapins live in fresh water; turtle and tortoise may come from the Latin root tort, with reference to the animals' twisted feet.See also related terms for tortoise.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

terrapin - any of various edible North American web-footed turtles living in fresh or brackish waterturtle - any of various aquatic and land reptiles having a bony shell and flipper-like limbs for swimmingEmydidae, family Emydidae - box and water turtlesdiamondback terrapin, Malaclemys centrata - of marshes along Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of United States

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