tortoise Definition

any of a family (Testudinidae) of terrestrial turtles; broadly : turtle

someone or something regarded as slow or laggard

any of various chrysomelid beetles (subfamily Cassidinae) with leaf-eating larvae

a large burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and adjacent Mexico

any of various large long-lived herbivorous land tortoises (genus Geochelone) formerly common on the islands of the western Indian Ocean and on the Galápagos Islands

any of several North American land turtles (genus Terrapene) capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the lower half —called also box tortoise

any of several chiefly semiaquatic, Asian turtles (genera Cuora and Pyxidea of the family Geoemydidae) that have a carapace with a median keel and are capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the plastron

a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) of the southern U.S.; broadly : any of several related land tortoises —called also gopher tortoise

any of a family (Geomyidae) of burrowing rodents of western North America, Central America, and the southern U.S. that are the size of a large rat and have large cheek pouches opening beside the mouth —called also pocket gopher

any of several small ground squirrels (genus Spermophilus) of the prairie region of North America