Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

turtleback

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.58 in modern English

Syllables: turtle-back
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Anything having the shape of a turtle's back (that is, its shell).

noun

A convex deck at the bow or stern of a vessel, designed to shed seawater quickly.

noun

An armor layout with an armored deck which slopes downwards towards the sides of the ship and connects to the lower edge of the main belt armor, designed to deflect shells striking the ship on trajectories close to horizontal.

noun

A primitive stone celt of a form suggesting the back of a turtle.

noun

A library binding of a mass market paperback with a generic hardcover.

noun

Any plant of the genus Psathyrotes of annual and perennial forbs and low subshrubs native to dry areas of southwestern North America.

Example Sentences

"Up he went on concrete stairs that were eroded to turtlebacks and slippery with evening's frost […]"
"When you order Turtleback Books from Baker & Taylor, you can be assured you get Turtlebacks!"

Etymology

From turtle + back.

Inflected Forms

turtlebacks (plural) turtle-back (alternative)

Phrases

turtle-backed turtle-back scale

Frequently Paired Words

turtle-backed turtle-back scale

Synonyms

turtle-deck

Questions

What does turtleback mean?: Anything having the shape of a turtle's back (that is, its shell).
Where does turtleback come from?: From turtle + back.

How to pronounce turtleback

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “turtleback”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “turtleback”.
Repeat and practice — Say “turtleback” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.