tortoise
English
/ˈtɔːɹ.təs/, /ˈtɔː.təs/, /ˈtɔːˌtɔɪs/
noun
Definitions
- Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae (chiefly) or the order Testudines (chiefly), whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English tortuse derived from Latin tortuca, tartarūcha derived from Ancient Greek ταρταροῦχος (inhabitant of Tartarus, the land of the dead in ancient stories, Tartarus, holder of Tartaros) derived from Latin tortus (twisted, folded over).
Origin
Latin
tortus
Gloss
twisted, folded over
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- boofhead English
- boofhead tortoise English
- shell English
- tortoiselike English
- tortoiseshell English
- untortoiselike English
- *extortiāre Latin
- *torsāre Latin
- *turta Latin
- Tartarucchus Latin
- tartarucchus Latin
- tartarūcha Latin
- torta Latin
- tortuca Latin
- tortuosus Latin
- tortus Latin
- tortūra Latin
- tartaruga Italian
- torto Italian
- torture French
- tuerto Spanish, Castilian
- ταρταροῦχος Ancient Greek
- *terkʷ- Proto-Indo-European
- tortuse Middle English
- torteau Old French
- tortüe Old French
- tort Catalan, Valencian
- tort Romanian, Moldavian, Moldovan
- teurt Norman
- torto Old Portuguese
- tuertu Asturian
- tortuga Old Occitan