Chiefly nonce-wd. [f. TURTLE sb.2; in sense 2 a back-formation (or inference) from TURTLER, TURTLING.]

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  1.  trans. To make mock turtle of.

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a. 1756.  Mrs. Haywood, New Present (1771), 149. To turtle a Calf’s Head.

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  2.  intr. To catch or ‘fish’ for turtle.

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  In recent Dicts.

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  3.  trans. To turn over: cf. to turn turtle (TURTLE sb.2 2 b).

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1896.  Daily News, 3 Aug., 4/7. She [the boat] turtled herself right again.

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  4.  To stretch (the neck) forward like a turtle.

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1909.  Daily Chron., 30 Dec., 9/5. Nothing makes a woman look more awkward than to ‘turtle’ the neck.

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