snapping turtle

noun

: either of two large American freshwater turtles (family Chelydridae) with a large head, powerful jaws, a long tail, and a strong musky odor:
a
: one (Chelydra serpentina) that has the head covered with smooth skin, has large plates in a double row on the underside of the tail, and is distributed from eastern Canada to Central America

Illustration of snapping turtle

Illustration of snapping turtle
  • snapping turtle a

Examples of snapping turtle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The camp begins in a swimming pool—still concrete—and then moves on to a swamp, with snapping turtles and slow-moving water, before concluding with some real rapids on a local river. Ben McGrath, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024 If concerned residents call, WINC is able to determine the best course of action and talk callers through the process of bringing an animal into the center, re-nesting a baby animal, reuniting an animal family or just helping a snapping turtle cross the road. Angelika Ytuarte, Journal Sentinel, 22 July 2024 In further dim news for the snapping turtle, geoengineers have not yet found a way to replicate a wetland through artificial structures. Michelle Mastro, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024 Sabin supported this mission by organizing trips into the woods on Long Island, where Schreiber and his family would find salamanders and snapping turtles. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for snapping turtle 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snapping 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

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of snapping turtle was in 1784

Dictionary Entries Near snapping turtle

Cite this Entry

“Snapping turtle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snapping%20turtle. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

Kids Definition

snapping turtle

noun
: either of two large American freshwater turtles that have a large head, powerful jaws, and a long tail

More from Merriam-Webster on snapping turtle

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