European tortoise

7.2

A small land animal like a turtle with a hard shell that lives in southern Europe

noun

: tortuga europea

The European tortoise is commonly found in Mediterranean regions.

Examples

Wild European tortoises are protected in many parts of southern Europe.
I saw a European tortoise in the garden.
She kept a European tortoise as a pet in her garden.
The European tortoise is known for its distinctive shell.
She kept a European tortoise as a pet in her garden.
The European tortoise is commonly found in Mediterranean regions.
Wild European tortoises are protected in many parts of southern Europe.

Synonyms

Testudo graeca

vsEuropean tortoise

Specialized

9.9

A small land tortoise from southern Europe, often called the Greek tortoise

uses the general regional name instead of scientific or common labels

Surface Forms

European tortoise singular

European tortoises plural

Morphology

European + tortoise

The meaning ('a land tortoise from southern Europe') is directly and compositionally derived from 'European' (of Europe) + 'tortoise' (a land reptile with a shell). This straightforward adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand the MWE.

Etymology

European tortoise is a straightforward name: European points to Europe and tortoise is a small land turtle. So it means 'a small type of land tortoise that lives in southern Europe', which helps you remember the animal comes from that region.