turtle

any of an order Testudines synonym Chelonia of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine reptiles that have a toothless horny beak and a shell of bony dermal plates usually covered with horny shields enclosing the trunk and into which the head, limbs, and tail usually may be withdrawn

The first known use: before the 12th century

Word Structure

6 Letters, 2 Syllable

turtle

5 Phonemes

t er t ə l

onset, rime

- -

Morpheme

turtle

Common Phrases

(as) fertile as a turtle

Extremely fertile.

(as) slow as a turtle

Exceptionally slow or sluggish; not fast at all.

be (as) fertile as a turtle

To be extremely fertile.

be (as) slow as a turtle

To be exceptionally slow or sluggish; to not be fast at all.

move like a herd of turtles

To proceed or advance very slowly.

off like a herd of turtles

Proceeding or advancing very slowly.

turn turtle

To turn upside down; to flip over. This phrase is often used to describe overturned boats or ships.

turtle head

To pop one's head up behind or out from within something, in a manner resembling a turtle's head emerging from its shell.

turtledove

A term of endearment, typically for a romantic partner.

turtleneck

The foreskin of the penis. An allusion to a type of sweater with a high, tubular, close-fitting collar.

Related Words

Sound the same but are spelled differently.

Collocations

The habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.

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