snapping turtle

American  

noun

1. either of two large, edible, freshwater turtles of the family Chelydridae, of North and Central America, having a large head and powerful hooked jaws, especially the common snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina.

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snapping turtle British  

noun

1. Also called: snapper.  any large aggressive North American river turtle of the family Chelydridae, esp Chelydra serpentina ( common snapping turtle ), having powerful hooked jaws and a rough shell

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Etymology

Origin of snapping turtle

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Compare meaning

How does snapping-turtle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• snapping turtle vs. alligator snapping turtle

Example Sentences

A snapping turtle emerges and settles a few feet away.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 31, 2025

Like a snapping turtle or a yellow-billed cuckoo, we humans, Homo constructus, would perish on the roads we built.

From Slate • May 25, 2024

Turtle expert Jordan Gray estimates the snapper weighs around 40 pounds—a pretty impressive weight for a common snapping turtle.

From National Geographic • May 16, 2023

“She was like a snapping turtle; she wasn’t going to let go,” George Miller, a former Democratic representative from California, said in a phone interview.

From New York Times • Jan. 11, 2023

Instead the man shrieked in surprise and dropped Otto heavily into the dirt, holding the cut rope at arm’s length, like he was handling a snapping turtle.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer