Search Dictionary
Definition of painted turtle
painted turtle
Plural:painted turtles
painted turtle Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
North American A widespread North American freshwater turtle belonging to the pond turtle family, characterized by its smooth, dark upper shell with distinct red and yellow markings along the edges and vibrant yellow striping on its head and neck.
Example
"While kayaking along the slow-moving river, we spotted several painted turtles lined up and basking in the sun on a floating log."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for painted turtle• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from the brightly colored red and yellow markings on the animal's plastron, shell edges, and skin, which vividly contrast with its dark shell and look as though they have been painted on.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Painted turtle. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/painted turtle