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testudomore about testudo

testudo


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Testudo  \Tes*tu"do\,  n.;  pl  {Testudines}.  [L.,  from  testa  the 
  shell  of  shellfish,  or  of  testaceous  animals.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  A  genus  of  tortoises  which  formerly  included  a 
  large  number  of  diverse  forms,  but  is  now  restricted  to 
  certain  terrestrial  species,  such  as  the  European  land 
  tortoise  ({Testudo  Gr[ae]ca})  and  the  gopher  of  the 
  Southern  United  States. 
 
  2.  (Rom.  Antiq.)  A  cover  or  screen  which  a  body  of  troops 
  formed  with  their  shields  or  targets,  by  holding  them  over 
  their  heads  when  standing  close  to  each  other  This  cover 
  resembled  the  back  of  a  tortoise,  and  served  to  shelter 
  the  men  from  darts,  stones,  and  other  missiles.  A  similar 
  defense  was  sometimes  formed  of  boards,  and  moved  on 
  wheels. 
 
  3.  (Mus.)  A  kind  of  musical  instrument.  a  species  of  lyre;  -- 
  so  called  in  allusion  to  the  lyre  of  Mercury,  fabled  to 
  have  been  made  of  the  shell  of  a  tortoise. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  testudo 
  n  1:  a  movable  covering  that  provided  protection  from  above;  used 
  by  Roman  troops  when  approaching  the  walls  of  a  besieged 
  fortification 
  2:  type  genus  of  the  Testudinidae  [syn:  {Testudo},  {genus 
  Testudo}] 




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