sea turtle

American  

noun

sea turtles plural

1. any of several large turtles of the families Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical seas, having the limbs modified into paddlelike flippers: all sea turtles are either threatened or endangered through most of their range because of ocean pollution.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sea turtles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of sea turtle

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sea turtle

The film cuts to a hummingbird sipping nectar from a flower on a cactus, a sea turtle floating over a coral reef, pink flamingos on a green lake, a snowflake, a butterfly.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

In total, more than 2,000 marine species have been recorded in the warm Gulf waters, including over 500 fish species and five types of sea turtles, among them the critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle.

From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026

"For sea turtle hatchlings, reaching the ocean is already a race against time -- and survival. Now, increasingly large mats of sargassum are adding new challenges to this critical journey," said Milton.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 24, 2025

After three months of recovery, the green sea turtle returned to the wild Friday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025

She reaches for her necklace, rubbing the sea turtle pendant.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith