different between turtle vs furtle

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t??t?l/
• (US) enPR: tûr?t?l, IPA^(key): /?t?t?l/, [?t?????]
• Rhymes: -??(r)t?l

Etymology 1

Modification of Middle English tortou, tortu, from Old French tortüe (under the influence of Middle English turtel, turtur (“turtledove”), see Etymology 2 below), from Medieval Latin tortuca (compare Spanish tortuga), the same source of tortoise (see there for more). Displaced native Old English byrdling.

Alternative forms

• tortle (obsolete)

Noun

turtle (plural turtles)

1. (zoology, US, Canada) Any land or marine reptile of the order Testudines, characterised by a protective shell enclosing its body. See also tortoise.

   Synonyms: (obsolete) shellpad, (archaic) shield-toad

2. (zoology, Australia, Britain, specifically) A marine reptile of that order.

   Synonym: sea turtle

3. (military, historical) An Ancient Roman attack method, where the shields held by the soldiers hide them, not only left, right, front and back, but also from above.

   Synonym: testudo

4. (computing) A type of robot having a domed case (and so resembling the reptile), used in education, especially for making line drawings by means of a computer program.
5. (computing) An on-screen cursor that serves the same function as a turtle for drawing.
6. (printing, historical) The curved plate in which the form is held in a type-revolving cylinder press.
7. (computing theory) A small element towards the end of a list of items to be bubble sorted, and thus tending to take a long time to be swapped into its correct position. Compare rabbit.
8. (dance) A breakdancing move consisting of a float during which the dancer's weight shifts from one hand to the other, producing rotation or a circular "walk".
9. (television) A low stand for a lamp etc.
   • Alan Bermingham, Location Lighting for Television

     Using an appropriate turtle allows the full range of pan and tilt adjustments on the luminaire and avoids possible heat damage to floor coverings.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

turtle (third-person singular simple present turtles, present participle turtling, simple past and past participle turtled)

1. To flip over onto the back or top; to turn upside down.
   • 1919, Iowa Highway Commission, Service Bulletin, Issues 15-32, page 48

     Were speeding when car turtled […] Auto crashed into curb and turtled.

2. To turn and swim upside down.
3. To hunt turtles, especially in the water.
4. (video games, board games) To build up a large defense force and strike only punctually, rather than going for an offensive strategy.

Translations

See also

• chelonian
• hatchling (turtle young)
• terrapin
• tortoise

References

• turtle on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Turtle on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Testudines on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Testudines on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Etymology 2

From Middle English turtle, tortle, turtel, turtul, from Old English turtle, turtla (“turtledove”), ultimately from Latin turtur (“turtledove”), of imitative origin.

Noun

turtle (plural turtles)

1. (now rare, archaic) A turtle dove.
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, IV.8:

     The same he tooke, and with a riband new, / In which his Ladies colours were, did bind / About the turtles neck […] .

   • 1613, John Marston, William Barksted, The Insatiate Countess, I.1:

     As the turtle, every day has been a black day with her since her husband died, and what should we unruly members make here?

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Lutter, ruttle, turlet

Old English

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin turtur (“turtledove”), of imitative origin.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?turt.le/, [?tur?t.le]

Noun

turtle f

1. turtle dove

Coordinate terms

• turtla m (“turtle dove (male)”)

Declension

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /f??tl/
• Rhymes: -??(r)t?l

Noun

furtle (plural furtles)

1. (chiefly Britain) A cursory examination of the contents or details of something.
   • 2005, Chloe Richards, Oops!, ?ISBN, p. 226 (Google preview):

     Then he looked back at his glossy, had a furtle with something in his pocket, and then looked back at me.

   • 2008, Iain M. Banks, Matter, ?ISBN, ch. 8 (Google preview):

     “Let me just have a quick furtle.” He dug his hand elbow-deep into the bag.

   • 2010, Stanley Challenger Graham, Stanley's View, Volume 6, ?ISBN, (Google preview):

     It was so unusual that I went for another furtle in the 1881 census to find her family.

Verb

furtle (third-person singular simple present furtles, present participle furtling, simple past and past participle furtled)

1. (chiefly Britain, intransitive) To gently delve; to probe or rummage tentatively.
   • 2005, Carole Matthews, You Drive Me Crazy, ?ISBN, (Google preview):

     A burly mechanic wheeled in a bright yellow battery charger on a trolley, furtled under the bonnet and gave the car the full benefit of its volts.

   • 2008, Peter Helton, Rainstone Fall, ?ISBN, (Google preview):

     Needham was already half-heartedly furtling about in the kitchen, opening cupboards without bothering to search them, letting his left hand trail over objects as though he was thinking with his fleshy fingers

   • 2011, Mark R. Faulkner, Flux, ?ISBN, p. 4 (Google preview):

     Furtling amongst the loose change and accumulated junk, he finally found what he was looking for.

Anagrams

• fluter