Black Turtle

proper noun

a Chinese constellation making up one of the Four Symbols of Chinese astronomy

Similar
Black Turtle of the NorthBlack TortoiseXuanwuHsüan-wu
OriginMandarin 玄武 →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. astronomya Chinese constellation making up one of the Four Symbols of Chinese astronomy
  2. ChineseChinese culturehuman sciencesa symbol of the element of water and direction north, typically depicted as a turtle entwined with a snake

    Synonyms: Black Turtle of the North, Black Tortoise, Xuanwu, Hsüan-wu

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nouna symbol of the element of water and direction north, typically depicted as a turtle entwined with a snake

Similar
Black Turtle of the NorthBlack TortoiseXuanwuHsüan-wu
Also see
black tortoiseblack turtle of the northgreen sea turtlexuanwu

Origin

  1. Mandarin玄武
  2. EnglishBlack Turtle

From Mandarin 玄武 (Xuánwǔ, literally “Dark Warrior”) + the primary animal representing it.

More words from Mandarin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 玄武, 北方玄武
  • 玄武 (Xuánwǔ)Translations
  • 北方玄武 (Běifāng Xuánwǔ)Translations
Japanese 玄武
  • 玄武Translations
Korean 현무
  • 현무 (Hyeonmu)Translations
Polish Czarny Żółw
  • Czarny ŻółwTranslations
Vietnamese Huyền Vũ
  • Huyền VũTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

Black Turtle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Turtle

MLA

“Black Turtle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Turtle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Black Turtle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Black%20Turtle.

Source: Black Turtle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.