Forms: 7 Forms: 7 (torope), tarapine, 7–9 terrapine, 8 torrepine, terebin, 8–9 tarapin, 9 terropene, terapin, tarrapin, 8– terrapin. [Of Algonquin origin; torope represented the Abenaki turepé (also tourepé) in Rasles, Abenaki Dict., rendered ‘tortue,’ in Delaware tulpe. The origin of the final -in, -ine is obscure.]
A name originally given to one or more species of North American turtles; thence extended to many allied species of the turtle and tortoise family, Testudineæ, widely distributed over North, Central, and South America, the East Indies, China, N. Africa, and other countries. In N. America, spec. the Diamond-backed or Saltmarsh terrapin, Malaclemmys palustris, famous for its delicate flesh.
Among other well-known American species are the Red-bellied Terrapin, Pseudemys rugosa, the Alligator Terrapin or Snapping-turtle, Chelydra serpentina, and the Pine-barren Terrapin, Box-turtle, or Gopher, Cistudo carolina. The Catalogue of Animals in the London Zoological Gardens, 1896, contains thirty-three species of Terrapin, with distinctive appellations, as Caspian, Ceylonese, Floridan, Spanish, Annulated, Black-headed, Ocellated, Painted, Roofed, Speckled, Wrinkled, Bennett’s, Blanding’s, Maw’s, Oldham’s, Spengler’s Terrapin. These are distributed in fifteen genera.
1613. A. Whitaker, Gd. Newes fr. Virginia, 42. I have caught with mine angle pike, carpe, eele,… creafish, and the torope or little turtle.
1672. Josselyn, New Eng. Rarities, 34. The Turtle that lives in Lakes and is called in Virginia a Terrapine.
1672. J. Lederer, Discov., 4. Every Nation gives his particular ensigne or arms, the Sasquesahanaugh a tarapine or small tortoise.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), Terrapine, a word used among the Virginians for that which we commonly call a Tortoise, and many call a Turtle,… the Lake Turtle which lives in Lakes,… is that most properly called the Terrapine.
1714. J. Lawson, Hist. Carolina, 133. Of terebins there are divers sorts, all which … we will comprehend under the distinction of land and water terebins.
1722. Beverley, Virginia, III. iv. § 15. 151. A small kind of Turtle, or Tarapins (as we call them). Ibid., IV. xix. § 80. 265. Snakes, Terrapins, and such like Vermine.
1764. Smollett, Trav., xix. (1766), I. 302. The land-turtle, or terrapin, is much better known at Nice, as being a native of this country.
1844. P. Parley’s Ann., V. 115. The growth of the terrapene is very slow.
1854. Owen, Skel. & Teeth, in Orr’s Circ. Sc. I. Org. Nat., 217. The Australian long-necked terrapene (Hydraspis longicollis).
1862. Trollope, N. Amer., I. 467. The terrapin is a small turtle, found on the shores of Maryland and Virginia, out of which a very rich soup is made.
1908. Times, 22 Feb., 13/3. Three-keeled terrapin … from Guatemala.
b. The flesh of this animal as food.
1867. Dixon, New Amer. (ed. 6), II. 335. Gentlemen sitting at table sipping soup, picking terapin.
1892. F. M. Crawford, Three Fates, II. 139. He had eaten terrapin and canvas back off old Saxon China.
1896. Fannie Farmer, Cook Book, 143. Terrapin, although sold in our large cities, specially belong to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, where they are cooked and served at their best.
c. attrib. and Comb., as terrapin meat, shell, soup; terrapin-farm, a place where diamond-back terrapins are reared for the market; terrapin paws, a name, in Chesapeake Bay, for tongs used in capturing terrapins.
1775. Adair, Amer. Ind., 110. Torrepine-shells containing pebbles.
1845. J. Coulter, Adv. in Pacific, ix. 110. I put to it some terrapin meat.
1862. Russell, Diary North & S. (1863), 340. The Terrapin soup excellent, though not comparable … to the best turtle.
1901. H. Gadow in Camb. Nat. Hist., VIII. ix. 360. Enterprising men have established terrapin-farms or ‘crawls’ for the keeping and breeding of terrapins.
