CS Knowledge Base

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɜːtl̩/
• (General American) enPR: tûrʹtəl, IPA^(key): /ˈtɝtl̩/, [ˈtʰɝɾɫ̩]

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (Australia):

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• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)təl

Modification of Middle English tortou, tortu, from Old French tortüe (under the influence of Middle English turtel, turtur (“turtledove”), see Etymology 2 below), from Old Occitan tortuga (compare Spanish tortuga), the same source of tortoise (see there for more). Displaced native Old English byrdling (See birdling).

• tortle (obsolete)

turtle (plural turtles)

1. (zoology, US, Canada) Any land, aquatic, or semi-aquatic reptile of the order Testudines, characterised by a protective shell enclosing its body. See also tortoise.

   Hypernym: reptile

   Synonyms: (dialectal) birdling, (archaic) shellpad, (rare) shield-toad

   Hyponyms: terrapin, tortoise

   • 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 238:

     A unique anti-aphrodisiac was the heart of a turtle carried in a wolf's skin. It prevented a person from ever being tempted amorously.

   1. (zoology, Australia, UK, specifically) A marine reptile of that order.

      Synonym: sea turtle

2. Senses resembling a turtle in protection
   1. (military, historical) An Ancient Roman attack method, where the shields held by the soldiers hide them, not only left, right, front and back, but also from above.

      Synonym: testudo

3. Senses resembling a turtle in shape or movement
   1. (computing) A type of robot having a domed case (and so resembling the reptile), used in education, especially for making line drawings by means of a computer program.
   2. (computing) An on-screen cursor that serves the same function as a turtle for drawing.
      • 1997, Brian Harvey, Computer Science Logo Style: Symbolic computing:

        Depending on which version of Logo you have, the turtle may look like an actual animal with a head and four legs or — as in Berkeley Logo — it may be represented as a triangle.

   3. (dance) A breakdancing move consisting of a float during which the dancer's weight shifts from one hand to the other, producing rotation or a circular "walk".
   4. A position reminiscent of a turtle.
      • 1893, De Forrest Willard, M.D., “Lateral Curvature”, in The American Lancet‎^[1], volume 17, page 210:

        At home the child can have a simple horizontal bar on which he may swing by his hands. He may also use dumb-bells and clubs. A very valuable position is what may be called the "turtle position." The patient lies prone upon the face, with the arms extended, and with the head carried upward and backward as far as possible. This exercises strongly the muscles of the upper part of the spine

      • 1957, Doris Layson Bullock, “Skills in the Water”, in Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation‎^[2], volume 28, page 28:

        A front somersault as executed in the water is basically the same type of movement as that executed in tumbling activities. A front somersault can be executed with the body in a tuck (turtle position) or pike (knees straight, body bent at hips so feet are near head) position, in shallow or deep water, from a back or prone float position.

      1. (martial arts) A position in which a person drops down all fours, limbs and chin tucked in, to protect their core.
   5. (television) A low stand for a lamp, etc.
      • Alan Bermingham, Location Lighting for Television

        Using an appropriate turtle allows the full range of pan and tilt adjustments on the luminaire and avoids possible heat damage to floor coverings.

   6. (genericized trademark) A candy with pecans, caramel, and chocolate, often shaped like a turtle.
   7. (printing, historical) The curved plate in which the form is held in a type-revolving cylinder press.
4. Senses resembling a turtle in slowness
   1. (computing theory) A small element towards the end of a list of items to be bubble sorted, and thus tending to take a long time to be swapped into its correct position.

      Coordinate term: rabbit

turtle (third-person singular simple present turtles, present participle turtling, simple past and past participle turtled)(intransitive)

1. To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.
   • 1919, Iowa Highway Commission, Service Bulletin, Issues 15-32, page 48

     Were speeding when car turtled […] Auto crashed into curb and turtled.

   1. To turn and swim upside down.
      • 2009, Amy Waeschle, Chasing Waves: A Surfer's Tale of Obsessive Wandering, page 149:

        I turtled my board beneath it, flipped upright, and started paddling again.

   2. (nautical, of a ship) To capsize, turning fully over.

      Synonym: turn turtle

   3. (climbing) To fall with one arm behind a rope, forcing the climber to dangle on their back, leaving them helpless.
2. To move along slowly.
   • 2012, Sophie B. Watson, Cadillac Couches, page 193:

     We turtled along in Manitoba, back into the heart of the prairies.

3. To hunt turtles, especially in the water.
   • 1973, Bernard Nietschmann, Between Land and Water: The Subsistence Ecology of the Miskito Indians, page 153:

     Of these, 80 turtled (65%), 26 hunted and turtled (20%), and 18 hunted (15%).

4. (video games, board games) To build up a large defense force and strike only occasionally, rather than going for an offensive strategy.
5. (slang, idiomatic, euphemistic) Ellipsis of turtle head (“to struggle to hold back an imminent bowel movement”).

   Synonyms: prairie dog, crown, grow a tail

• chelonian
• hatchling (turtle young)
• terrapin
• tortoise

• turtle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Category:Turtle on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Category:Testudines on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Testudines on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

From Middle English turtle, tortle, turtel, turtul, from Old English turtle, turtla (“turtledove”), ultimately from Latin turtur (“turtledove”), of imitative origin.

turtle (plural turtles)

2. (now rare, archaic) A turtle dove.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     The same he tooke, and with a riband new, / In which his Ladies colours were, did bind / About the turtles neck […] .

   • 1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, I.1:

     As the turtle, every day has been a black day with her since her husband died, and what should we unruly members make here?

Ellipsis of turtle-neck

turtle (plural turtles)

1. A turtle-neck garment.

• Lutter, ruttle, turlet

Ultimately from Latin turtur (“turtledove”), of imitative origin.

• IPA^(key): /ˈturt.le/, [ˈturˠt.le]

turtle f

1. turtle dove

   Synonym: *turtledūfe

Weak n-stem:

• turtla m (“turtle dove (male)”)

• Middle English: turtle, tortle, turtel, turtul
  • English: turtle (archaic)