SNAPPING TURTLE

noun Date: 1784 either of two large American freshwater turtles (family Chelydridae) with a large head, powerful jaws, a long tail, and a strong musky odor:, one ( Chelydra serpentina ) that has the head covered with smooth skin, has large plates in a double row on the underside of the tail, and is distributed from eastern Canada to Central America, alligator ~