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Glite Dictionary
diamondback terrapin

diamondback terrapin

1 8.8
A North American turtle with diamond marks on its shell that lives in salty marshes
  • noun
  • /ˈdaɪəməndˌbæk ˈtɛrəpɪn/
  • US
translation icon : tortuga de diamante
  • The diamondback terrapin can often be found in brackish waters along the Atlantic coast.
  • diamondback terrapin catches

Examples

  • The good news is there are many ways that you, too, can help diamondback terrapins!

    Blog text (13)

  • The mortality rate of diamondback terrapins in crab traps was estimated to be quite high.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Two of the seven subspecies of the diamondback terrapin are currently Category 2 candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act (Seigel and Gibbons, 1995).

    Academic text (1998)

  • The incidental catch of diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, in blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, traps has become an issue along both the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.

    Academic text (1998)

  • "Terrapin" is reserved for the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), a North American species whose name is derived from the Algonquian word for this animal, though the average speaker would simply refer to it as a turtle.

    Blog text (9)

  • The diamondback terrapin is a unique turtle known for its diamond-shaped shell markings.

  • During our trip to the marsh, we spotted several diamondback terrapins basking in the sun.

Synonyms

terrapin
vsdiamondback terrapin
  • US
2 8.5

A small turtle with webbed feet that lives in rivers and marshes

is a specific coastal species known for diamond shaped shell markings
chelonian
vsdiamondback terrapin
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A reptile like a turtle or tortoise

applies to a single coastal species rather than the entire reptile order
Malaclemys centrata
vsdiamondback terrapin
  • Specialized
9.9

A small turtle with a diamond-patterned shell that lives in coastal marshes on United States coasts

is the common everyday name used outside scientific contexts

Surface Forms

diamondback terrapin singular
diamondback terrapins plural

Morphology

diamondback + terrapin

The name is directly compositional: 'diamondback' can be parsed as 'diamond' + 'back' (a back with diamond-shaped markings) and 'terrapin' denotes a turtle. Together they describe a turtle with diamond-shaped markings on its back, a standard descriptive noun-noun compound that a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer.

Etymology

Diamondback terrapin gets its name from how it looks: the turtle's shell has 'diamond-shaped' marks, so it is called diamondback, and terrapin is an old word for a 'small turtle' that lives in water that is partly salty. So the name describes a 'small turtle' with diamond marks that lives in marshes.