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Glite Dictionary
Dermochelys coriacea

Dermochelys coriacea

8.6
A very large sea turtle with a soft, leathery shell that is the biggest living turtle
  • noun
  • /ˌdɜrməˈkiːlɪs kɔːriˈeɪsə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Dermochelys coriacea
  • The Dermochelys coriacea migrates thousands of kilometers across the world's oceans each year.

Examples

  • Marine biologists are working to protect the endangered Dermochelys coriacea populations.

  • A fully grown Dermochelys coriacea can weigh up to 700 kilograms.

  • The Dermochelys coriacea is known for its impressive size.

  • Many researchers study the Dermochelys coriacea to understand its migration patterns.

  • A fully grown Dermochelys coriacea can weigh up to 700 kilograms.

  • Marine biologists are working to protect the endangered Dermochelys coriacea populations.

  • The Dermochelys coriacea migrates thousands of kilometers across the world's oceans each year.

Synonyms

leatherback
vsDermochelys coriacea
2 7.0

A very large sea turtle with a flexible, soft shell

is the formal scientific name rather than the short common label
leatherback turtle
vsDermochelys coriacea
1 5.0

A very large sea turtle with a soft, leather-like shell that swims long distances

is the formal scientific name used in biology
leathery turtle
vsDermochelys coriacea
4.8

A very large sea turtle with a soft, flexible shell instead of hard plates

is the formal scientific name instead of a descriptive common phrase

Surface Forms

Dermochelys coriacea singular
Dermochelys coriaceas plural

Morphology

Dermochelys + coriacea

This is a scientific binomial (genus + species) where the meaning (the leatherback sea turtle) is compositional in a taxonomic sense, but the constituents are Latin/specialist terms and one element ('coriacea') is not found in the dictionary provided. A B1 learner who knows ordinary English vocabulary would not reliably derive the species meaning from these morphemes without biological/Latin knowledge, so the relation is partly transparent but requires specialist knowledge.

Etymology

Dermochelys coriacea comes from ancient words meaning 'skin' (dermo-) and 'turtle' (chelys) and a word meaning 'leathery' (coriacea). So the name shows a turtle with a soft, leather-like shell, which is why we call it the 'leatherback' today.