ridley

¹ American  

[rid-lee] / ˈrɪd li /

noun

plural

ridleys

1. Also called bastard turtle.  Also called bastard ridley,.  Also called Atlantic ridley,.  a gray sea turtle, Lepidochelys kempii, of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, about 24 inches (61 centimeters) long, previously thought to be a hybrid of the loggerhead and green turtles: an endangered species.

2. Also called Pacific ridley.  Also called olive ridley,.  an olive-colored sea turtle, Lepidochelys olivacea, similar to L. kempii, inhabiting tropical waters of the Indian, Pacific, and South Atlantic Oceans: threatened or endangered throughout its range.

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Ridley ² American  

[rid-lee] / ˈrɪd li /

noun

1. Nicholas, c1500–55, English bishop, reformer, and martyr.

2. a town in SE Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.

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Ridley British  

/ ˈrɪdlɪ /

noun

1. Nicholas . ?1500–55, English bishop, who helped to revise the liturgy under Edward VI. He was burnt at the stake for refusing to disavow his Protestant beliefs when Mary I assumed the throne

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Etymology

Origin of ridley

First recorded in 1895–1900; of undetermined origin

Example Sentences

Kemp's ridley sea turtles rank among the most endangered sea turtle species on the planet.

From Science Daily • Feb. 5, 2026

Kemp's ridley turtles are critically endangered, with only about 7,000 females thought to exist.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2025

While collecting data on olive ridley sea turtles, she and her colleagues would routinely lift the creatures up onto their boat for examination.

From National Geographic • Dec. 12, 2023

Two of the turtles are green sea turtles, and the third is a Kemp’s ridley turtle, aquarium officials said in a news release.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 27, 2023

Kemp's ridley, with a triangular-shaped head and a slightly hooked beak, is primarily found in the Gulf of Mexico.

From Reuters • Sep. 28, 2023