a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar
"She pulled her turtle over her head to keep warm in the cold wind."
any of various aquatic and land reptiles having a bony shell and flipper-like limbs for swimming
"The turtle slowly paddled its flipper-like limbs to swim across the pond while keeping its head retracted inside its bony shell."
Any land or marine reptile of the order Testudines, characterised by a protective shell enclosing its body. See also tortoise.
"At the annual gathering, every turtle raised their glass to toast the camaraderie of the order."
A turtle dove.
A member of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles, a drinking club.
In plain English: A turtle is a slow-moving animal with a hard shell on its back that it can pull into for protection.
"The turtle slowly made its way across the road to get back to the water."
Usage: Use "turtle" for sea-dwelling species and freshwater varieties, while reserving "tortoise" specifically for land-living members of the same order. As a verb, it means to fall backward on one's shell rather than simply lying flat on the back.
hunt for turtles, especially as an occupation
"After years working in construction, he returned to his family's tradition and now spends each day hunting for turtles along the riverbank."
To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.
"The curious cat tried to turtle by flipping itself onto its back on the rug."
In plain English: To turtle means to curl up into a tight ball, usually when you are scared or trying to protect yourself.
"The old computer turtle slowly to life after sitting unused for years."
A river in Saskatchewan, Canada.
"The Turtle River flows through southern Saskatchewan, providing a vital habitat for local wildlife."
The word "turtle" comes from the Old French tortüe and Medieval Latin tortuca, originally referring to a type of shellfish. It eventually replaced the native Old English word byrdling.