giant tortoise

American  

noun

1. any of several large tortoises of the genus Geochelone, of the Galápagos Islands and islands near Madagascar: some are endangered.

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giant tortoise British  

noun

1. any of various very large tortoises of the genus Testudo, of the Galápagos, Seychelles, and certain other islands, weighing up to 225 kilograms (495 lbs.)

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Etymology

Origin of giant tortoise

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Chutti, a one-horned rhinoceros, had his leathery hide and snout hosed down, as did Elvis, a Galapagos giant tortoise.

From Reuters • Jul. 21, 2023

Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise living on the island of Saint Helena, turned 190 years old.

From NewsForKids.net • Mar. 1, 2023

Swimming with barrel-rolling sea lions, seeing a blue-footed booby chick peeking out from beneath its mother, kayaking with flamingoes and experiencing the meditative pace of a giant tortoise — all exceeded the goal.

From New York Times • Aug. 26, 2022

A giant tortoise brought trains to a halt when it was found on a railway track.

From BBC • Aug. 1, 2022

Both theories lack observational evidence: no one has ever seen a giant tortoise with the earth on its back, but then, no one has seen a superstring either.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking