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Atlantic ridley

Atlantic ridley

7.4
A small sea turtle that nests on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America
  • noun
  • /əˈtlæntɪk ˈrɪdli/
  • US
translation icon : tortuga ridley atlántica
  • Of the world's eight sea turtle species, only the olive ridley, the most abundant of all marine turtles, and the much rarer Kemp's, or Atlantic ridley, stage such arribadas.

Examples

  • The Atlantic ridley turtle is critically endangered and primarily found in the waters off the Gulf Coast.

  • Conservation efforts are underway to protect the nesting beaches of the Atlantic ridley along the coast.

  • While snorkeling, we spotted an Atlantic ridley swimming gracefully through the coral reefs.

Synonyms

ridley
vsAtlantic ridley
  • Specialized
107 9.8

A small sea turtle that lives in warm shallow coastal waters and lays eggs on beaches

is the single species name rather than the broader genus
sea turtle
vsAtlantic ridley
18 2.5

A large turtle that lives in the sea and uses flippers to swim

is a specific coastal species rather than any large marine turtle
Lepidochelys kempii
vsAtlantic ridley
  • Specialized
9.9

A small sea turtle living on North America's Atlantic and Gulf coasts that nests in large groups

is the common name for that exact species
bastard ridley
vsAtlantic ridley
  • Specialized
9.9

A small grey sea turtle that nests on Gulf and Atlantic coasts of North America, also called Kemp's ridley

is the standard common name rather than this regional label
bastard turtle
vsAtlantic ridley
  • Specialized
8.9

A grey sea turtle that lives on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America

is the precise species name rather than this broader descriptive label
Lepidochelys
vsAtlantic ridley
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of sea turtles that includes Kemp's and olive ridleys

is the species-level term not the higher genus name
marine turtle
vsAtlantic ridley
2.6

A large sea animal with a hard shell and flippers that lives in warm oceans

is the local species found on Atlantic and Gulf coasts not all sea turtles

Surface Forms

Morphology

Atlantic + ridley

The phrase is a straightforward compositional name: 'Atlantic' specifies the ocean/region and 'ridley' names a type of marine turtle, so together they denote the ridley turtle found in the Atlantic. This taxonomic/locational naming pattern is transparent and readily inferable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Atlantic ridley combines a place and an old turtle name. Atlantic tells you the ocean where it lives and ridley is a traditional short name for this small, grey sea turtle (seen in 'Kemp's ridley'), so the name simply means a small sea turtle from the Atlantic.