Tortuga (en. Tortoise)

/torˈtuɣa/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishSpanish

noun

Reptile of the order Chelonia, characterized by its shell.

The sea turtle can live many years in the ocean.

La tortuga marina puede vivir muchos años en el océano.

Animal of the family Testudinidae, which lives on land.

The land turtle lives in desert ecosystems.

La tortuga de tierra vive en ecosistemas desérticos.

From Latin 'tortuga', which comes from 'testudinem', and this from Greek 'tortus', meaning 'bent'.

sea turtle

turtle that lives in the ocean.

tortuga de mar

to be slow as a turtle

to refer to someone who is very slow in doing something.

ser lento como una tortuga

shell

Hard structure that protects turtles.

caparazón

reptile

Class of animals that includes turtles.

reptil

Turtle in colloquial situations indicates slowness.

When I arrived late, they told me I was a turtle.

Cuando llegué tarde, me dijeron que fui una tortuga.

Turtle is also used to refer to someone who is very cautious.

That person is a turtle, always thinks before acting.

Esa persona es una tortuga, siempre piensa antes de actuar.