/rid"lee/ , n. , pl. ridleys .
1. Also called Atlantic ridley, bastard ridley, bastard turtle . a gray sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, about 24 in. (61 cm) long, previously thought to be a hybrid of the loggerhead and green turtles: an endangered species.
2. Also called olive ridley, Pacific ridley . an olive-colored sea turtle, L. olivacea, similar to L. kempii, inhabiting tropical waters of the Indian, Pacific, and South Atlantic oceans: threatened or endangered throughout its range.
[ 1940-45; of undetermined orig. ]