leathery turtle

4.8

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

noun
/ˈlɛðəri ˈtɜːrtl/

: tortuga laúd

A distinctive feature of the leathery turtle is its soft, leathery shell instead of a hard, bony one.

Examples

Many leathery turtles migrate thousands of miles each year.
Scientists are concerned about declining populations of the leathery turtle due to habitat loss and hunting.
The leathery turtle can weigh up to 700 kilograms, making it the heaviest turtle in the world.
The leathery turtle can weigh up to 2,000 pounds.
A distinctive feature of the leathery turtle is its soft, leathery shell instead of a hard, bony one.
Scientists are concerned about declining populations of the leathery turtle due to habitat loss and hunting.
The leathery turtle can weigh up to 700 kilograms, making it the heaviest turtle in the world.

Synonyms

leatherback

vsleathery turtle

2 7.0

A very large sea turtle with a flexible, soft shell

is the longer common name form rather than the short label

leatherback turtle

vsleathery turtle

1 5.0

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

is the same species but uses a different common name form

Dermochelys coriacea

vsleathery turtle

Specialized

8.6

A very large sea turtle with a soft, leathery shell that is the biggest living turtle

is the common English name rather than the formal Latin name

Surface Forms

leathery turtle singular

leathery turtles plural

Morphology

leathery + turtle

The compound 'leathery turtle' is directly and descriptively built from 'leathery' (having a leather-like flexible texture) + 'turtle' (a shelled reptile), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a turtle with a leathery shell. This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition found across languages and lacks idiomatic or metaphorical shift, making it immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

The noun leathery turtle comes from the animal's soft, leather-like shell: the word leathery shows the shell feels like leather, not hard, and turtle tells you it is a sea turtle. That's why the name means a very large turtle with a flexible, 'leathery' shell.