turtle

UK: /ˈtɜː^rt^əl/ US: /ˈtɝtəl/ ,(tûr′tl)

Inflections of 'turtle' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

turtles

v 3rd person singular

turtling

v pres p

turtled

v past

turtled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tur•tle¹ /ˈtɜrtəl/   n. [countable] , pl. -tles, (esp. when thought of as a group) -tle. 

1. Reptiles any of various water- and land-dwelling reptiles having the trunk enclosed in a shell.

Idioms

2. Nautical, Naval Terms turn turtle, to capsize or turn over completely.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tur•tle¹  (tûr′tl), n., pl. -tles, (esp. collectively) -tle, v., -tled, -tling. 
n. 

1. Reptiles 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. Reptiles (not used technically) an aquatic turtle as distinguished from a terrestrial one. Cf. tortoise (def. 1).
3. turn turtle:
   • Naval Terms [Naut.] to capsize or turn over completely in foundering.
   • to overturn;
     upset:
     Several of the cars turned turtle in the course of the race.

v.i. 

4. to catch turtles, esp. as a business.

• Medieval Latin tortūca tortoise
• alteration (influenced by turtle²) of French tortue 1625–35

tur′tler, n. 

tur•tle²  (tûr′tl), n. [Archaic.]

1. a turtledove.

• Latin turtur (imitative)
• Middle English, Old English bef. 1000

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

turtle / ˈtɜːt^əl/ noun

1. any of various aquatic chelonian reptiles, esp those of the marine family Chelonidae, having a flattened shell enclosing the body and flipper-like limbs adapted for swimming
2. turn turtle ⇒ to capsize

Etymology: 17th Century: from French tortue tortoise (influenced by turtle²)

turtle / ˈtɜːt^əl/ noun

1. an archaic name for turtledove

Etymology: Old English turtla, from Latin turtur, of imitative origin; related to German Turteltaube