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Glite Dictionary
to turn turtle

to turn turtle

8.4
To flip over so the bottom becomes the top, often about boats or cars
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : volcar
  • The driver lost control, and the car turned turtle when it crashed into the ditch.

Examples

  • The small boat began to turn turtle after hitting the rough waves in the storm.

  • Why, the purest luck we didn't turn turtle.

    The Wayward Bus (1957)

  • A couple of years after we did the first underwater car myth, we went and did it again because most cars turn turtle when they hit the water, and it makes it much more confusing for the person who's in the car.

    Blog text (1)

  • While racing along the river, the jet ski turned turtle and sent its rider into the water.

Synonyms

to turn over
vsto turn turtle
31 2.6

Flip something so the other side faces up

refers to a full capsize where the bottom ends up on top
to overturn
vsto turn turtle
30 4.1

Make something flip so it is upside down or on its side

describes a full flip ending with the bottom on top
to capsize
vsto turn turtle
21 6.0

To turn over in the water by accident

is used for vehicles as well as water accidents
to upturn
vsto turn turtle
1 4.5

To turn something so its bottom faces up

is narrower meaning complete capsizing for boats or vehicles
to turtle
vsto turn turtle
1 9.8

To turn a boat completely upside down

is the same action but expressed as a phrase rather than a single word

Antonyms

right-side-up
3 3.2

Placed so the top part faces up

Surface Forms

turn turtle infinitive
turned turtle past
turned turtle past participle
turning turtle present participle
turns turtle third person singular

Morphology

turn + turtle

The sense 'to overturn/capsize' is directly compositional from 'turn' (to rotate/flip) combined with 'turtle' given here as 'to overturn or capsize', so a learner who knows both constituent senses can derive the overall meaning. Although the verb 'turtle' is relatively rare in general vocabulary, the motion/result composition is literal and therefore transparent to someone who already knows the constituent definitions.

Etymology

The verb turn turtle likely comes from the image of a boat or vehicle flipping over like a turtle that has been turned onto its back, with its belly up. So today it means 'to overturn' or 'to flip over'.