\Tor"toise\, n. [OE. tortuce, fr. OF. tortis crooked,
fr. L. tortus isted, crooked, contorted, p. p. of torquere,
tortum, to wind; cf. F. tortue tortoise, LL. tortuca,
tartuca, Pr. tortesa crookedness, tortis crooked. so called
in allusion to its crooked feet. See {Torture}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of reptiles of the
   order Testudinata.
Note: The term is applied especially to the land and
      fresh-water species, while the marine species are
      generally called turtles, but the terms tortoise and
      turtle are used synonymously by many writers. see
      {Testudinata}, {Terrapin}, and {Turtle}.
2. (Rom. Antiq.) Same as {Testudo}, 2.
{Box tortoise}, {Land tortoise}, etc. See under {Box},
   {Land}, etc.
{Painted tortoise}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Painted turtle}, under
   {Painted}.
{Soft-shell tortoise}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Trionyx}.
{Spotted tortoise}. (Zo["o]l.) A small American fresh-water
   tortoise ({Chelopus, or Nanemys, quttatus}) having a
   blackish carapace on which are scattered round yellow
   spots.
{Tortoise beetle} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
   small tortoise-shaped beetles. Many of them have a
   brilliant metallic luster. the larv[ae] feed upon the
   leaves of various plants, and protect themselves beneath a
   mass of dried excrement held over the back by means of the
   caudal spines. The golden tortoise beetle ({Cassida
   aurichalcea}) is found on the morning-glory vine and
   allied plants.
{Tortoise plant}. (Bot.) See {Elephant's foot}, under
   {Elephant}.
{Tortoise shell}, the substance of the shell or horny plates
   of several species of sea turtles, especially of the
   hawkbill turtle. It is used in inlaying and in the
   manufacture of various ornamental articles.
{Tortoise-shell butterfly} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several
   species of handsomely colored butterflies of the genus
   {Aglais}, as {A. Milberti}, and {A. urtic[ae]}, both of
   which, in the larva state, feed upon nettles.
{Tortoise-shell turtle} (Zo["o]l.), the hawkbill turtle. See
   {Hawkbill}.