tortoise

/ˈtɔːtəs/TAWR-tuhs
/ˈtɔɹtəs/TAWR-tuhs

Meaningtwisted foot

Common meaning: land-dwelling reptile with a shell

Journey through time

  1. Latinforé-ussource
  2. Late Latintoriueasource
  3. Middle Englishtortuce‘tortoise’source
  4. Englishtortoise‘land-dwelling reptile with a shell’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin foré-us ‘twisted foot’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry TORTOISE, p. 651 · dictionary scan

Roots

Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app