turtle

noun16

1. •
   (US, Canada) a reptile with a hard shell over its body, found on land, in rivers or in the sea
2. •
   A marine reptile of that order.
3. •
   A candy with pecans, caramel, and chocolate, often shaped like a turtle.
4. •
   A turtle-neck garment.
5. •
   A position reminiscent of a turtle.
6. •
   A position in which a person drops down all fours, limbs and chin tucked in, to protect their core.
7. •
   A type of robot having a domed case (and so resembling the reptile), used in education, especially for making line drawings by means of a computer program.
8. •
   An on-screen cursor that serves the same function as a turtle for drawing.

   • Depending on which version of Logo you have, the turtle may look like an actual animal with a head and four legs or — as in Berkeley Logo — it may be represented as a triangle. — 1997
9. •
   (historical) An Ancient Roman attack method, where the shields held by the soldiers hide them, not only left, right, front and back, but also from above.
10. •
    Senses resembling a turtle in protection
11. •
    A breakdancing move consisting of a float during which the dancer's weight shifts from one hand to the other, producing rotation or a circular "walk".
12. •
    Senses resembling a turtle in slowness
13. •
    A small element towards the end of a list of items to be bubble sorted, and thus tending to take a long time to be swapped into its correct position.
14. •
    A low stand for a lamp, etc.

    • Alan Bermingham, Location Lighting for Television Using an appropriate turtle allows the full range of pan and tilt adjustments on the luminaire and avoids possible heat damage to floor coverings.
15. •
    (historical) The curved plate in which the form is held in a type-revolving cylinder press.
16. •
    (no longer used) A turtle dove.

    • The same he tooke, and with a riband new, / In which his Ladies colours were, did bind / About the turtles neck […]. — 1596

verb8

1. •
   To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.

   • Were speeding when car turtled […] Auto crashed into curb and turtled. — 1919
2. •
   To turn and swim upside down.

   • I turtled my board beneath it, flipped upright, and started paddling again. — 2009
3. •
   To capsize, turning fully over.
4. •
   To fall with one arm behind a rope, forcing the climber to dangle on their back, leaving them helpless.
5. •
   To move along slowly.

   • We turtled along in Manitoba, back into the heart of the prairies. — 2012
6. •
   To build up a large defense force and strike only occasionally, rather than going for an offensive strategy.
7. •
   To hunt turtles, especially in the water.

   • Of these, 80 turtled (65%), 26 hunted and turtled (20%), and 18 hunted (15%). — 1973
8. •
   (slang, euphemistic) Ellipsis of turtle head (“to struggle to hold back an imminent bowel movement”).

noun1

1. •
   A member of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles, a drinking club.