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

The reintroduction follows a "back-breeding" programme launched in 2017 after scientists discovered tortoises carrying ancestry of the Floreana giant tortoise on nearby Isabela island.

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026

But in 2019, a team of scientists found a female giant tortoise living on Fernandina.

From NewsForKids.net • Mar. 7, 2024

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

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 patch of grass caught fire, lit up, and Ugwu saw a ferret by the cluster of trees ahead, hunched like a giant tortoise.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie