tur ‧ tle /ˈtɜːtl $ ˈtɜːrtl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: French ; Origin: tortue ( ⇨ ↑ tortoise ); influenced by turtledove ]
1 . a ↑ reptile that lives mainly in water and has a soft body covered by a hard shell
2 . American English any ↑ reptile that has a hard shell covering its body, for example a ↑ tortoise
3 . turn turtle a ship or boat that turns turtle turns upside down