snapping turtle

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noun

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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Compare alligator snapping turtle.

Origin of snapping turtle

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Words nearby snapping turtle

snapper, snapperback, snapper up, snapping beetle, snapping shrimp, snapping turtle, snappish, snappy, snap ring, snap roll, snapshoot

How to use snapping turtle in a sentence

They are always suspended over a precipice, dangling by a slender thread that shows every sign of snapping.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This Israel-Hamas war feels different, neither turtle nor scorpion even pretending anymore about seeking peace.
Is It Just Me or Is the World Exploding? So Why Isn’t Obama Doing More?|Michael Tomasky|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A non-Sioux nation in the state, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, also said no.
The Native Americans Who Voted for ‘The Fighting Sioux’|Evan Weiner|June 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Emil Axelsson recreates the classic melody using only his fingers and their super-snapping abilities.
Viral Video of the Day: Fingersnapping Super Mario|The Daily Beast Video|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

They were greeted by the ever-scruffy director, who can be seen in the picture above snapping a shot on his camera phone.
Prince William: How Do You Fly This Thing?|Tom Sykes|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To these we gave boiled rice, and with it turtle and manatee boiled.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
She careened so badly that the girls shrieked and Malcolm himself thought she would turn turtle.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
For our use, besides bread-fruit and fish, there was a turtle weighing perhaps more than twenty pounds.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
I shall give 'em real turtle from Birch's, and as for fizz, they shall swim in it if they like.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3)|Charles James Wills
Suddenly the audience was startled by the snapping of a string; the violin and bow dropped from the nerveless hands of the player.
The Fifth String |John Philip Sousa

British Dictionary definitions for snapping turtle

snapping turtle

noun

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012