Tort
(Tort), a. Stretched tight; taut. [R.]
Yet holds he them with tortestrein.
Emerson. Torta
(Tor"ta) n. [Cf. Sp. torta a cake.] (Metal.) a flat heap of moist, crushed silver ore, prepared for
the patio process.
Torteau
(Tor"teau) n.; pl. Torteaus [Of. torteau, tortel, from L. tortus twisted. See Tort.] (Her.) A
roundel of a red color.
Torticollis
(Tor`ti*col"lis) n. [F. toricolis; L. torquere, tortum, to twist + collum the neck.] (Med.) See
Wryneck.
Tortile
(Tor"tile) a. [L. tortilis, fr. torquere, tortum, to twist: cf. F. tortile.] Twisted; wreathed; coiled.
Tortility
(Tor*til"i*ty) n. The quality or state of being tortile, twisted, or wreathed.
Tortilla
(||Tor*til"la) n. [Sp.] An unleavened cake, as of maize flour, baked on a heated iron or stone.
Tortion
(Tor"tion) n. [LL. tortio. See Torsion.] Torment; pain. [Obs.] Bacon.
Tortious
(Tor"tious) a. [From Tort.]
1. Injurious; wrongful. [Obs.] "Tortious power." Spenser.
2. (Law) Imploying tort, or privat injury for which the law gives damages; involing tort.
Tortiously
(Tor"tious*ly), adv. (Law) In a tortous manner.
Tortive
(Tor"tive) a. [L. tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist, wind.] Twisted; wreathed. Shak.
Tortoise
(Tor"toise) n. [OE. tortuce, fr. OF. tortis crooked, fr. L. tortus isted, crooked, contorted, p.
p. of torquere, tortum, to wind; cf. F. tortue tortoise, LL. tortuca, tartuca, Pr. tortesa crookedness,
tortis crooked. so called in allusion to its crooked feet. See Torture.]
1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of reptiles of the order Testudinata.
The term is applied especially to the land and fresh-water species, while the marine species are generally
called turtles, but the terms tortoise and turtle are used synonymously by many writers. see Testudinata,
Terrapin, and Turtle.
2. (Rom. Antiq.) Same as Testudo, 2.
Box tortoise, Land tortoise, etc. See under Box, Land, etc. — Painted tortoise. (Zoöl.) See
Painted turtle, under Painted. — Soft-shell tortoise. (Zoöl.) See Trionyx. — Spotted tortoise.
(Zoöl.) A small American fresh-water tortoise (Chelopus, or Nanemys, quttatus) having a blackish carapace
on which are scattered round yellow spots. — Tortoise beetle (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species
of small tortoise-shaped beetles. Many of them have a brilliant metallic luster. the larvæ feed upon the
leaves of various plants, and protect themselves beneath a mass of dried excrement held over the back
by means of the caudal spines. The golden tortoise beetle (Cassida aurichalcea) is found on the morning-
glory vine and allied plants. — Tortoise plant. (Bot.) See Elephant's foot, under Elephant. — Tortoise
shell, the substance of the shell or horny plates of several species of sea turtles, especially of the hawkbill
turtle. It is used in inlaying and in the manufacture of various ornamental articles. — Tortoise- shell
butterfly (Zoöl.), any one of several species of handsomely colored butterflies of the genus Aglais, as
A. Milberti, and A. urticæ, both of which, in the larva state, feed upon nettles. — Tortoise-shell turtle
(Zoöl.), the hawkbill turtle. See Hawkbill.
