King James Bible Dictionary

(Heb. tsabh). Ranked among the unclean animals (Leviticus 11:29). Land tortoises are common in Syria. The LXX. renders the word by "land crocodile." The word, however, more probably denotes a lizard, called by the modern Arabs dhabb.

Leviticus 11:29

(Heb. tsab). The tsab occurs only in (Leviticus 11:29) as the name of some unclean animal. The Hebrew word may be identified with the kindred Arabic dhab , "a large kind of lizard," which appears to be the Psommosaurus scincus of Cuvier.

TORTOISE, noun tor'tis.] from Latin tortus, twisted.]

1. An animal of the genus Testudo, covered with a shell or crust.

2. In the military art, a defense used by the ancients, formed by the troops arranging themselves in close order and placing their bucklers over their heads, making a cover resembling a tortoise-shell.

TOR'TOISE-SHELL, noun [tortoise and shell.] The shell or rather scales of the tortoise, used in inlaying and in various manufactures.