testudo
[ te-stoo-doh, -styoo- ]
/ tɛˈstu doʊ, -ˈstyu- /
noun, plural tes·tu·di·nes [te-stood-n-eez, -styood-] /tɛˈstud nˌiz, -ˈstyud-/.
(among the ancient Romans) a movable shelter with a strong and usually fireproof arched roof, used for protection of soldiers in siege operations.
a shelter formed by overlapping oblong shields, held by soldiers above their heads.
Origin of testudo
1350–1400 for earlier sense “tumor”; 1600–10
for def 1; Middle English < Latin
testūdō tortoise, tortoise shell, siege engine; akin to
test2
Words nearby testudo
testitis,
teston,
testosterone,
testudinal,
testudinate,
testudo,
testy,
tet,
tet offensive,
tetanic,
tetaniform
British Dictionary definitions for testudines
testudo
/ (tɛˈstjuːdəʊ) /
noun plural -dines (-dɪˌniːz)
a form of shelter used by the ancient Roman Army for protection against attack from above, consisting either of a mobile arched structure or of overlapping shields held by the soldiers over their heads
Word Origin for testudo
C17: from Latin: a tortoise, from
testa a shell