See turn turtle in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for turn turtle meaning in English (9.1kB)
{
"etymology_text": "Possibly from the fact that turning a turtle and placing it on its back renders it helpless.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "turns turtle",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "turning turtle",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "turned turtle",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "turned turtle",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "turn turtle (third-person singular simple present turns turtle, present participle turning turtle, simple past and past participle turned turtle)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"turn"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "21 20 28 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1805, James Stanier Clarke, “Pacific Ocean”, in Naufragia or Historical Memoirs of Shipwrecks and of the Providential Deliverance of Vessels, London: Printed by I. Gold, […], for J. Mawman, […], →OCLC, page 400",
"text": "Before Noon, the next Day, I sent off the Master, Mr. Aikin, and a Party to the Island, victualled for a week, to turn Turtle. The Evening brought us light breezes with fine pleasant Weather; and the Cutter came back with a couple of Turtle, which we served out as before.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1837, James Edward Alexander, chapter XII, in Narrative of a Voyage of Observation among the Colonies of West Africa, in the Flag-ship Thalia; and of a Campaign in Kaffir-land, on the Staff of the Commander-in-chief, in 1835. … In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, publisher, […], →OCLC, page 297",
"text": "No ships' crews are now allowed to turn turtle, which is converted into a government monopoly; and two pounds ten shillings is the fixed price for each.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1866, Richard Meade Bache, “How to Find a Turtles Nest—Habits of the Turtle—Turning Turtles”, in The Young Wrecker of the Florida Reef; or The Trials and Adventures of Fred Ransom, Philadelphia, Pa.: James S. Claxton, successor to W[illia]m S. & Alfred Martien, […], →OCLC, page 297",
"text": "It was agreed that we would go ashore that night, and turn turtle. The season being that when the turtles commence to lay, the captain was certain that we would capture at least one.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To capture a turtle by turning it onto its back."
],
"id": "en-turn_turtle-en-verb-0e5ZMXWG",
"links": [
[
"capture",
"capture#Verb"
],
[
"back",
"back#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, now historical) To capture a turtle by turning it onto its back."
],
"tags": [
"historical",
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "21 20 28 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1847, “A Leaf or Two from an Old Log”, in Colburn’s United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal, part II, London: H. Hurst, […], →OCLC, page 191",
"text": "Gymnastics of every description, even the Kroo canoe afforded its mite towards the general hilarity, by turning turtle with the awkward aspirants for paddling fame.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1864, Oliver P[erry] Morton, chapter IV, in William M. French, editor, Life, Speeches, State Papers and Public Services of Gov. Oliver P. Morton, Cincinnati, Oh.: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin Printers, […], →OCLC, page 89",
"text": "If you ask a Douglas politician whether the people of the Territories have power to exclude slavery, he turns turtle, and draws his head under the shell of non-intervention.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1925, Samuel A’Court Ashe, “Steamboats—Fulton Arrives”, in History of North Carolina … In Two Volumes, volume II (From 1783 to 1925), Raleigh, N.C.: Presses of Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, →OCLC, page 267",
"text": "It [the steamboat City of Fayetteville] was launched not far from the Clarendon bridge, and it has been related that some one having prophesied that it would turn turtle when it reached the water, the architect boldly rode in its bow, as it slipped off its ways and the event justified his faith in his work.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1956 July, “Hi There! Stop and Ponder—and Save a Trip up Yonder”, in Leslie E. Troeger, editor, National 4-H News, volume XXXIV, number 7, Chicago, Ill.: National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work, →OCLC, page 11",
"text": "April 1956. Two Champaign youths racing, one with 1956 Plymouth, crashes through new woven wire fence, turns turtle.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Especially of a boat or ship, or some other vehicle: to turn upside down."
],
"id": "en-turn_turtle-en-verb-MZ7GycPX",
"links": [
[
"boat",
"boat#Noun"
],
[
"ship",
"ship#Noun"
],
[
"vehicle",
"vehicle"
],
[
"turn",
"turn#Verb"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) Especially of a boat or ship, or some other vehicle: to turn upside down."
],
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "43 57 0 0",
"tags": [
"noun"
],
"word": "turtling"
},
{
"_dis1": "43 57 0 0",
"word": "Eskimo roll"
},
{
"_dis1": "43 57 0 0",
"word": "upside down"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"verb"
],
"word": "turtle"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 60 3 36",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "perevernutʹsja",
"sense": "to turn upside down",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "перевернуться"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 60 3 36",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "oprokinutʹsja",
"sense": "to turn upside down",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "опрокинуться"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "21 20 28 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2016, Bill Christine, “Put the Schadenfreude on Hold”, in Bill Hartack: The Bittersweet Life of a Hall of Fame Jockey, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, page 110",
"text": "On a day-to-day basis, his [Bill Hartack's] business turned turtle; some years he wouldn't even win a hundred races. But at Derby time, he was still the jockey of choice, in demand for many of the major trainers.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To fail; to go belly up."
],
"id": "en-turn_turtle-en-verb-0FdRrvpI",
"links": [
[
"fail",
"fail"
],
[
"belly up",
"belly up"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, figuratively) To fail; to go belly up."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "topical",
"langcode": "en",
"name": "Surfing",
"orig": "en:Surfing",
"parents": [
"Water sports",
"Sports",
"Human activity",
"Human behaviour",
"Human",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"_dis": "12 15 17 56",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 15 13 62",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "13 11 21 55",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English light verb constructions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "21 20 28 31",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "11 17 14 58",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2009, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, with Scott Bannerot, “Getting Started: A Complete Mini-primer”, in Wingnut’s Complete Surfing, Camden, Me., New York, N.Y.: International Marine; McGraw-Hill, page 23",
"text": "As you encounter waves on the way out, you have five ways of getting past them: […] Turn turtle. Turn upside down and hang onto the rails (i.e., the edges) near the nose of the board, pulling it downward, so that the oncoming wave pushes on this slanted shield, forcing you and the forward part of the board downward[…].",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To roll upside down with one's surfboard (usually a longboard) to allow a wave, especially a wave that has already broken, to pass over."
],
"id": "en-turn_turtle-en-verb-emP~2v1D",
"links": [
[
"surfing",
"surfing#Noun"
],
[
"roll",
"roll#Verb"
],
[
"surfboard",
"surfboard"
],
[
"longboard",
"longboard"
],
[
"wave",
"wave#Noun"
],
[
"broken",
"break#Verb"
],
[
"pass over",
"pass over"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, surfing) To roll upside down with one's surfboard (usually a longboard) to allow a wave, especially a wave that has already broken, to pass over."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"topics": [
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports",
"surfing"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɜːn ˈtɜːtəl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɝn ˈtɝtəl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[-ɾəl]",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-turn turtle.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/be/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "turn turtle"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English light verb constructions",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English verbs"
],
"etymology_text": "Possibly from the fact that turning a turtle and placing it on its back renders it helpless.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "turns turtle",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "turning turtle",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "turned turtle",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "turned turtle",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "*"
},
"expansion": "turn turtle (third-person singular simple present turns turtle, present participle turning turtle, simple past and past participle turned turtle)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"hyphenation": [
"turn"
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"tags": [
"noun"
],
"word": "turtling"
},
{
"word": "Eskimo roll"
},
{
"word": "upside down"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with historical senses",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1805, James Stanier Clarke, “Pacific Ocean”, in Naufragia or Historical Memoirs of Shipwrecks and of the Providential Deliverance of Vessels, London: Printed by I. Gold, […], for J. Mawman, […], →OCLC, page 400",
"text": "Before Noon, the next Day, I sent off the Master, Mr. Aikin, and a Party to the Island, victualled for a week, to turn Turtle. The Evening brought us light breezes with fine pleasant Weather; and the Cutter came back with a couple of Turtle, which we served out as before.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1837, James Edward Alexander, chapter XII, in Narrative of a Voyage of Observation among the Colonies of West Africa, in the Flag-ship Thalia; and of a Campaign in Kaffir-land, on the Staff of the Commander-in-chief, in 1835. … In Two Volumes, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, publisher, […], →OCLC, page 297",
"text": "No ships' crews are now allowed to turn turtle, which is converted into a government monopoly; and two pounds ten shillings is the fixed price for each.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1866, Richard Meade Bache, “How to Find a Turtles Nest—Habits of the Turtle—Turning Turtles”, in The Young Wrecker of the Florida Reef; or The Trials and Adventures of Fred Ransom, Philadelphia, Pa.: James S. Claxton, successor to W[illia]m S. & Alfred Martien, […], →OCLC, page 297",
"text": "It was agreed that we would go ashore that night, and turn turtle. The season being that when the turtles commence to lay, the captain was certain that we would capture at least one.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To capture a turtle by turning it onto its back."
],
"links": [
[
"capture",
"capture#Verb"
],
[
"back",
"back#Noun"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, now historical) To capture a turtle by turning it onto its back."
],
"tags": [
"historical",
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1847, “A Leaf or Two from an Old Log”, in Colburn’s United Service Magazine and Naval and Military Journal, part II, London: H. Hurst, […], →OCLC, page 191",
"text": "Gymnastics of every description, even the Kroo canoe afforded its mite towards the general hilarity, by turning turtle with the awkward aspirants for paddling fame.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1864, Oliver P[erry] Morton, chapter IV, in William M. French, editor, Life, Speeches, State Papers and Public Services of Gov. Oliver P. Morton, Cincinnati, Oh.: Moore, Wilstach, & Baldwin Printers, […], →OCLC, page 89",
"text": "If you ask a Douglas politician whether the people of the Territories have power to exclude slavery, he turns turtle, and draws his head under the shell of non-intervention.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1925, Samuel A’Court Ashe, “Steamboats—Fulton Arrives”, in History of North Carolina … In Two Volumes, volume II (From 1783 to 1925), Raleigh, N.C.: Presses of Edwards & Broughton Printing Company, →OCLC, page 267",
"text": "It [the steamboat City of Fayetteville] was launched not far from the Clarendon bridge, and it has been related that some one having prophesied that it would turn turtle when it reached the water, the architect boldly rode in its bow, as it slipped off its ways and the event justified his faith in his work.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1956 July, “Hi There! Stop and Ponder—and Save a Trip up Yonder”, in Leslie E. Troeger, editor, National 4-H News, volume XXXIV, number 7, Chicago, Ill.: National Committee on Boys and Girls Club Work, →OCLC, page 11",
"text": "April 1956. Two Champaign youths racing, one with 1956 Plymouth, crashes through new woven wire fence, turns turtle.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"Especially of a boat or ship, or some other vehicle: to turn upside down."
],
"links": [
[
"boat",
"boat#Noun"
],
[
"ship",
"ship#Noun"
],
[
"vehicle",
"vehicle"
],
[
"turn",
"turn#Verb"
],
[
"upside down",
"upside down"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) Especially of a boat or ship, or some other vehicle: to turn upside down."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"tags": [
"verb"
],
"word": "turtle"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2016, Bill Christine, “Put the Schadenfreude on Hold”, in Bill Hartack: The Bittersweet Life of a Hall of Fame Jockey, Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, page 110",
"text": "On a day-to-day basis, his [Bill Hartack's] business turned turtle; some years he wouldn't even win a hundred races. But at Derby time, he was still the jockey of choice, in demand for many of the major trainers.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To fail; to go belly up."
],
"links": [
[
"fail",
"fail"
],
[
"belly up",
"belly up"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, figuratively) To fail; to go belly up."
],
"tags": [
"figuratively",
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"en:Surfing"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2009, Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, with Scott Bannerot, “Getting Started: A Complete Mini-primer”, in Wingnut’s Complete Surfing, Camden, Me., New York, N.Y.: International Marine; McGraw-Hill, page 23",
"text": "As you encounter waves on the way out, you have five ways of getting past them: […] Turn turtle. Turn upside down and hang onto the rails (i.e., the edges) near the nose of the board, pulling it downward, so that the oncoming wave pushes on this slanted shield, forcing you and the forward part of the board downward[…].",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To roll upside down with one's surfboard (usually a longboard) to allow a wave, especially a wave that has already broken, to pass over."
],
"links": [
[
"surfing",
"surfing#Noun"
],
[
"roll",
"roll#Verb"
],
[
"surfboard",
"surfboard"
],
[
"longboard",
"longboard"
],
[
"wave",
"wave#Noun"
],
[
"broken",
"break#Verb"
],
[
"pass over",
"pass over"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive, surfing) To roll upside down with one's surfboard (usually a longboard) to allow a wave, especially a wave that has already broken, to pass over."
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"topics": [
"hobbies",
"lifestyle",
"sports",
"surfing"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɜːn ˈtɜːtəl/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/ˈtɝn ˈtɝtəl/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"ipa": "[-ɾəl]",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-turn turtle.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/be/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/En-au-turn_turtle.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "perevernutʹsja",
"sense": "to turn upside down",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "перевернуться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "oprokinutʹsja",
"sense": "to turn upside down",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "опрокинуться"
}
],
"word": "turn turtle"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.