Search Dictionary
Definition of mud turtle
mud turtle
Plural:mud turtles
mud turtle Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
Any of various small, semi-aquatic turtles of the family Kinosternidae, native to the Americas, characterized by a smooth, dark, dome-shaped shell and a strong tendency to inhabit slow-moving or stagnant muddy-bottomed waters.
Example
"During the field study in the wetlands, the biology students documented a small mud turtle burrowing into the sediment to escape the midday heat."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for mud turtleWord Origin & Etymology
A descriptive open compound name referring to the reptile's primary habitat and its frequent habit of burrowing into the muddy bottoms of stagnant or slow-moving water bodies.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mud turtle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mud turtle