noun Download 🔗Share Any of various land-dwelling reptiles, of the family Testudinidae or the order Testudines , whose body is enclosed in a shell (carapace plus plastron). The animal can withdraw its head and four legs partially into the shell, providing some protection from predators. Examples : "The little boy watched the tortoise slowly munch on a piece of lettuce in its enclosure. " animal biology nature organism Chat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading