[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/tortoiseshell/)

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# tortoiseshell

noun (tortoiseshell — uncountable; a tortoiseshell, tortoiseshells); adjective (tortoiseshell)

«tortoiseshell» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Tortoiseshell is the hard, brown-and-yellow mottled shell material that comes from the hawksbill sea turtle (not from tortoises), once used for combs, glasses frames and jewellery; trading it is now banned to protect the turtles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#m1)
2. Tortoiseshell also means a pattern or plastic copying that mottled brown and amber look: tortoiseshell glasses. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#m2)
3. A tortoiseshell is a cat with a coat patterned in black and orange (ginger) patches; almost all of them are female. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#m3)
4. A tortoiseshell is also a butterfly, the small tortoiseshell, with orange, black and yellow wings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science and citizenship lessons it comes up with endangered animals and the CITES ban on trading hawksbill shell. In nature lessons the small tortoiseshell butterfly is a common British garden butterfly. In everyday life, "tortie" cats and tortoiseshell-style glasses. Phrases: "tortoiseshell cat", "tortoiseshell frames", "small tortoiseshell".

### Examples

- My cat is a tortoiseshell with black and ginger patches. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x1)
- Almost all tortoiseshell cats are female. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x2)
- Dad's glasses have tortoiseshell frames, but they are plastic. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x3)
- Real tortoiseshell came from hawksbill turtles, which are now endangered. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x4)
- A small tortoiseshell butterfly landed on the buddleia. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x5)
- The old hairbrush in the museum was made of tortoiseshell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x6)
- Selling real tortoiseshell is banned in most countries. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x7)
- Next came the water-rats, dressed as pages, and lastly the frog herself, in a litter borne by eight toads, and made of tortoiseshell. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/#x8)

### Note

One word. Despite the name, it comes from sea turtles, not land tortoises. Informal name for the cat: "tortie". The cat being nearly always female is due to genes on the X chromosome.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «tortoiseshell» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/tortoiseshell/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«tortoiseshell» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/tortoiseshell.html) on Mova free.