Meanings
plural box turtles · alternative box-turtle
- A turtle of the genera Terrapene (the North American box turtles), Cuora, or Pyxidea (the Asian box turtles), characterised by having a domed shell that is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to escape predators.
Synonyms: box tortoise
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA turtle of the genera Terrapene (the North American box turtles), Cuora, or Pyxidea (the Asian box turtles), characterised by having a domed shell that is hinged at the bottom, allowing the animal to close its shell tightly to escape predators.
More synonyms by meaning
nounchiefly terrestrial turtle of North America; shell can be closed tightly
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Cite this entry
box turtle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/box%20turtle
“box turtle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/box%20turtle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “box turtle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/box%20turtle.
Source: box turtle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.