box turtle

noun

1
: any of several North American land turtles (genus Terrapene) capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the lower half

called also box tortoise

2
: any of several chiefly semiaquatic, Asian turtles (genera Cuora and Pyxidea of the family Geoemydidae) that have a carapace with a median keel and are capable of withdrawing into their shell and closing it by hinged joints in the plastron

Note: The Asian box turtles are not closely related to the North American box turtles.

Illustration of box turtle

Illustration of box turtle

Examples of box turtle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Sedgwick County Zoo – a wildlife park that is home to 3,000 individual animals of nearly 400 species — announced the birth of a McCord's box turtle on Friday. Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 11 Oct. 2023 Others included a Mojave desert tortoise collected within range of fallout from the former Nevada Test Site; a river cooter from the Savannah River Site, which manufactured fuel for nuclear weapons; and an eastern box turtle from Oak Ridge, which once produced parts for nuclear weapons. Celia Ford, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2023 But the researchers took things a step further with the Oak Ridge box turtle, looking at changes in uranium isotope concentrations across seven scute layers, marking the seven years of the turtle’s life between 1955 and 1962. Celia Ford, WIRED, 30 Aug. 2023 A number of other species are benefiting from the growth of lupine and other plants in the area, including rare moths, butterflies, native bees, and reptiles such as the Eastern hognose snake and Eastern box turtle, officials said. Travis Andersen, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2023 The ornate box turtle is the subject of fieldwork this week in western Lee County, part of the 15th year of a box turtle health survey — the largest and longest in North America, researchers say. Morgan Greene, chicagotribune.com, 7 May 2021 Louisiana law prohibits the trade of box turtles – or box turtle eggs or parts – and forbids the taking of wild box turtles for commercial purposes. Tristan Baurick, NOLA.com, 8 Jan. 2021 Eastern box turtles, the state’s only terrestrial turtle, are endangered, as are Blanding’s turtles. Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023 Why Trust Us? Frank, an Eastern box turtle, lives in my family’s backyard. Mary Laura Philpott, Country Living, 8 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'box turtle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of box turtle was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near box turtle

Cite this Entry

“Box turtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/box%20turtle. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

box turtle

noun
: any of several North American land turtles able to withdraw completely into the shell and to close it by hinged joints in the lower shell

More from Merriam-Webster on box turtle

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!