Turtle (noun) – is a reptile with a hard shell on its back. This animal is known for its slow gait and ability to hide within its shell. Turtles can live both in water and on land.
Turtles’ diet varies from plants to small fish, depending on the habitat. Some people keep the turtles in terrariums or aquariums as pets. Let’s consider some key moments of “turtle” description.
How to Pronounce “Turtle”?
Audio (UK):
Audio (US):
The “ur” sound is key. For an American accent, try to make a strong, r-colored vowel sound, like in the word “her.” To sound more British, the “ur” should go more like “ir” in the word “bird.” The second syllable “tle” in both versions is quick and solid.
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Examples: How to Use “Turtle” in a Sentence?
After we’ve discovered the meaning of the word and how to pronounce it, it’s time to learn how to define “turtle” in context.
What Are Synonyms for the Word “Turtle”?
To make your speech sound natural and smooth, here are some of the “turtle” synonyms you can use.
Related nouns: tortoise sea turtle animal
Synonyms (contextual): chelonian testudine
Common collocations: a turtle crawls to catch a turtle a turtle’s nest
“Turtle” Word Formation and Description in Context
The real magic starts when you learn how the “turtle” goes with other parts of speech. Let’s take a look at some of the examples:
With adjectives: sea turtle green turtle slow turtle
With verbs: a turtle swims to find a turtle to walk a turtle
With nouns (noun + noun): land turtle turtle watcher turtle breeder turtle dove
Idioms and Phrases with “Turtle”
But how could a new vocabulary miss the popular idioms built around this word? Idioms are just like gemstones — they enrich our language and charm the audience. Here are our top-3 phrases with a “turtle”.
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To turn turtle – to flip upside down; usually refers to boats.
The small boat turnedturtle in the storm, so all the crew fell into the water.
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At a turtle’s pace – to do something very slowly but confidently.
The old computer processes data at aturtle’s pace, but it eventually gets the job done. -
To retreat into the shell like a turtle – to go silent and shy.
After the teacher’s criticism, Jessica retreated into her shell like aturtle .
Let’s See How You Memorized a “Turtle” Meaning – It’s a Quiz Time!
These exercises will help you secure the result and take a new word into your vocabulary for sure. Let’s check them out:
Enjoy personalized learning!
“Turtle” Word in Other Languages
Want to know more? We knew you were a quick study. Here’s how “turtle” sounds in the top-3 popular languages after English.
| Language | Word for “Turtle” |
|---|---|
Spanish |
Tortuga |
French |
Tortue |
German |
Schildkröte |
Did You Know It? Fun Facts About “Turtle”
The interesting facts about these animals will help you to remember the word “turtle” quickly and solidly.
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The existence of turtles dates back more than 200 million years.
According to National Geographic Kids, turtles are one of the oldest reptile groups in the world, and they lived when the dinosaurs did. -
A turtle’s shell is a part of its body and grows with the animal.
The BBC claims that the turtle’s shell is made up of nearly 50 bones and becomes bigger as the turtle grows. This makes it impossible for a turtle to overgrow its shell. -
Turtles can live a very long time. Some turtles live over 100 years!
Turtles are real long-livers and can boast of longer lifespans than most of the world’s creatures. This range varies depending on the species of turtle.
Famous Quotes Featuring “Turtle”
Last but not least, let’s discuss uses of this word in world-famous poems, movies, and novels. This will help you to enrich your language with beautiful similes and metaphors.
— “Kung Fu Panda”, DreamWorks Animation
Explanation: This piece depicts one of the battle scenes between a panda called Po and his kung fu master, a red panda named Shifu.
Distance, and no space was seen
‘Twixt the turtle and his queen’”
— “The Phoenix and the Turtle”, William Shakespeare
Explanation: This part of Shakespeare’s poem refers to the love between the Turtle dove and the Phoenix, so strong and complete that it can overcome all the barriers and distances.
Heroes in a half-shell, turtle power!…”
— Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles | Theme song
Explanation: The theme song presents us with a group of teenage turtles, each of them empowered with super-ninja skills, and ready to battle the world’s evil.
