TESTUDOS

Noun

testudos

plural of testudo

Source: Wiktionary


TESTUDO

Tes*tu"do, n.; pl. Testudines. Etym: [L., from testa the shell of shellfish, or of testaceous animals.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A genus of tortoises which formerly included a large number of diverse forms, but is now restricted to certain terrestrial species, such as the European land tortoise (Testudo Græca) and the gopher of the Southern United States.

2. (Rom. Antiq.)

Definition: A cover or screen which a body of troops formed with their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when standing close to each other. This cover resembled the back of a tortoise, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other missiles. A similar defense was sometimes formed of boards, and moved on wheels.

3. (Mus.)

Definition: A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; -- so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

1 January 2025

SOLICITOUSLY

(adverb) in a concerned and solicitous manner; “‘Don’t you feel well?’ his mother asked solicitously”


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Coffee Trivia

In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.

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