soft-shelled turtle
Save This Word!
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.
QUIZZES
THINK YOU’VE GOT A HANDLE ON THIS US STATE NICKNAME QUIZ?
Did you ever collect all those state quarters? Put them to good use on this quiz about curious state monikers and the facts around them.
Question 1 of 8
Mississippi’s nickname comes from the magnificent trees that grow there. What is it?
Origin of soft-shelled turtle
First recorded in 1765–75
Words nearby soft-shelled turtle
soft sculpture, soft sell, soft-shell, soft-shell clam, soft-shell crab, soft-shelled turtle, soft-shoe, soft shoulder, soft sign, soft skill, soft skills
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for soft-shelled turtle
British Dictionary definitions for soft-shelled turtle
soft-shelled turtle
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