Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The outer shell, or one of the scutes or scales, of certain sea-turtles or marine chelonians, especially of Eretmochelys imbricata, the hawk's-bill turtle, or caret, a species which inhabits tropical seas.
- noun A tortoise-shell cat. See II., 2.
- noun With a qualifying word, one of certain nymphalid butterflies: so called from the tortoise-shell-like maculation. Aglais milberti is the nettle tortoise-shell, and Vanessa urticæ is the small tortoise-shell.
- Made of tortoise-shell.
- Mottled with black and yellow: as, a tortoise-shell cat or butterfly.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Having a color like that of a tortoise's shell, black with white and orange spots; -- used mostly to describe cats of that color.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Attributive form of
tortoise shell , noun.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun brilliantly colored; larvae feed on nettles
- noun the mottled horny substance of the shell of some turtles
- noun a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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She had laughed, pushing her tortoise-shell glasses back with her middle finger.
Sunshine Loop Marcelle Heath 2011
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His father, blind from birth, was one of Bahrain's premiere pearl merchants, and this father's father used to don tortoise-shell nose clips and tie stones to his feet in order to dive to depths of 80 feet without air tanks, wet suit or goggles, to fetch the "fisheyes of Dilmun."
Richard Bangs: Bahrain: Once Was Paradise, Part 3 Richard Bangs 2011
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Heidi Julavits, the 35-year-old co-editor of The Believer, the new Dave Eggers – sponsored literary magazine, arrived for her interview dressed in a style that might be called haute zoologist: angular tortoise-shell glasses, khaki zip-front jacket over a white polo shirt, and a denim skirt.
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I'm going to recommend two from opposite ends of the spectrum: Lanvin's cape in black wool, with silk lapels and tortoise-shell clasp (£2,110) and Coach's in navy-blue, with gold buttons and black leather trim (£475).
Luxuriously Cozy Winter Coats Tina Gaudoin 2011
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You should also lob a compliment at people you meet who are wearing the same tortoise-shell glasses.
When You Meet Your 'Twin' Teri Agins 2011
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Heidi Julavits, the 35-year-old co-editor of The Believer, the new Dave Eggers – sponsored literary magazine, arrived for her interview dressed in a style that might be called haute zoologist: angular tortoise-shell glasses, khaki zip-front jacket over a white polo shirt, and a denim skirt.
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"Drive is a fairytale," the young director said, tapping his sneakered foot tensely under his chair, while looking very confident and poised in his tortoise-shell glasses and black sweatshirt -- an intriguing combination.
Karin Badt: A Conversation With Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling About Drive: A Modern Fairytale at Cannes Karin Badt 2011
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"Drive is a fairytale," the young director said, tapping his sneakered foot tensely under his chair, while looking very confident and poised in his tortoise-shell glasses and black sweatshirt -- an intriguing combination.
Karin Badt: A Conversation With Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling About Drive: A Modern Fairytale at Cannes Karin Badt 2011
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"Drive is a fairytale," the young director said, tapping his sneakered foot tensely under his chair, while looking very confident and poised in his tortoise-shell glasses and black sweatshirt -- an intriguing combination.
Karin Badt: A Conversation With Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling About Drive: A Modern Fairytale at Cannes Karin Badt 2011
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Now I have some new large tortoise-shell glasses and keep encountering people with the same glasses.
When You Meet Your 'Twin' Teri Agins 2011
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