turtle head

verb

To emerge partially from the body, as a result of heightened internal pressure in the bowels.

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crowngrow a tailprairie dog
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Meanings

verbturtle head (third-person singular simple present turtle heads, present participle turtle heading, simple past and past participle turtle headed)

present singular third person turtle heads · participle present turtle heading · participle past turtle headed · past turtle headed · alternative turtle-head

  1. idiomaticintransitiveslangvulgarTo emerge partially from the body, as a result of heightened internal pressure in the bowels.
  2. euphemisticidiomaticintransitiveslangvulgarTo struggle to keep an imminent bowel movement wholly inside oneself.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
crowngrow a tailprairie dog
Also see
crowngrow a tailprairie dogtouch cotton

Origin

By analogy with the manner whereby a turtle's or tortoise's head gradually emerges from the shell, after having been kept inside for some time for defensive or resting purposes. When threatened (such as by contact), the head rapidly retreats into the shell, which might have further reinforced the vulgar analogy.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

turtle head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtle%20head

MLA

“turtle head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtle%20head. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turtle head,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turtle%20head.

Source: turtle head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.