soft-shelled turtle

American

noun

any of numerous aquatic turtles of the family Trionychidae, inhabiting North America, Asia, and Africa, having the shell covered with flexible, leathery skin instead of horny plates.

soft-shelled turtle British

noun

any freshwater turtle of the family Trionychidae, having a flattened soft shell consisting of bony plates covered by a leathery skin

"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

Etymology

Origin of soft-shelled turtle

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It came from a soft-shelled turtle, or trionychid, which researchers think was the animal responsible for the punting tracks.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 15, 2023

A new subspecies of soft-shelled turtle from the central United States, with comments on the application of the name Amyda.

From Description of a New Softshell Turtle From the Southeastern United States by Webb, Robert G.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023