turn turtle
/ˈtɝn ˈtɝtəl/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.89 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "Before Noon, the next Day, I sent off the Master, Mr. Aikin, and a Party to the Island, victualled for a week, to turn Turtle. The Evening brought us light breezes with fine pleasant Weather; and the Cutter came back with a couple of Turtle, which we served out as before."
- "No ships' crews are now allowed to turn turtle, which is converted into a government monopoly; and two pounds ten shillings is the fixed price for each."
- "It was agreed that we would go ashore that night, and turn turtle. The season being that when the turtles commence to lay, the captain was certain that we would capture at least one."
- "Gymnastics of every description, even the Kroo canoe afforded its mite towards the general hilarity, by turning turtle with the awkward aspirants for paddling fame."
- "This brig is American—the schooner alongside is a Spaniard, that turned turtle in a tornado, about six-and-thirty hours since, and on which we have been hard at work trying to raise her, since the gale which succeeded the tornado has blown its pipe out."
- "If you ask a Douglas politician whether the people of the Territories have power to exclude slavery, he turns turtle, and draws his head under the shell of non-intervention."
Etymology
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtɝn ˈtɝtəl/
- British English: /ˈtɜːn ˈtɜːtəl/