turtle: Meaning and Definition of

tur•tle

Pronunciation: (tûr'tl), [key]
— n., pl. v., -tles, -tle, -tled, -tling.
—n.
  1. any reptile of the order Testudines, comprising aquatic and terrestrial species having the trunk enclosed in a shell consisting of a dorsal carapace and a ventral plastron.
  2. (not used technically) an aquatic turtle as distinguished from a terrestrial one. Cf.(def. 1).
  3. Several of the cars turned turtle in the course of the race.
    1. Naut.to capsize or turn over completely in foundering.
    2. to overturn; upset:Several of the cars turned turtle in the course of the race.
—v.i.
  1. to catch turtles, esp. as a business.

tur•tle

Pronunciation: (tûr'tl), [key]
— n. Archaic.
  1. a turtledove.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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