Meaning & use
turtle
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A reptile with a hard shell that lives in water or on land and moves slowly.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'turtles'.
Patterns
- a turtle
- turtles swim
We saw a turtle swimming in the pond.
The turtle slowly crossed the road.
Turtles can live for many years.
noununcountable
The flesh of a turtle used as food.
Grammar: Uncountable when referring to the meat.
Patterns
- turtle soup
- eat turtle
Turtle soup is a traditional dish in some cultures.
They served turtle at the banquet.
He refused to eat turtle for ethical reasons.
Word forms
| plural | turtles |
|---|
Common combinations
- sea turtle
- Sea turtles migrate long distances.
- turtle shell
- The turtle shell was hard and patterned.
- turtle soup
- Turtle soup is considered a delicacy in some regions.
- pet turtle
- My pet turtle lives in a tank.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- turtleneck noun
- A high, close-fitting collar on a sweater.
Commonly confused: turtle or tortoise?
turtle vs tortoise
In British English, 'tortoise' is only for land turtles, while 'turtle' is for sea turtles. In American English, 'turtle' covers both.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'turtle' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Turtle is a noun for a shelled reptile, so 'swam gracefully' fits. The other options use turtle as a verb or an impossible action.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “turtle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.