Definition of testudo Testudo

tes•tu•do

We found 9 definitions of testudo from 5 different sources.

What does testudo mean?

Noun Plural: testudoes
testudo - type genus of the Testudinidae
		genus Testudo
		reptile genus a genus of reptiles
		family testudinidae, testudinidae land tortoises
		european tortoise, testudo graeca small land tortoise of southern Europe
testudo - a movable protective covering that provided protection from above; used by Roman troops when approaching the walls of a besieged fortification

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testudo (Noun)
A shelter formed by a body of troops by holding their shields or targets close together over their heads.
testudo (Noun)
A kind of lyre; so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.

testudo (n.)
A genus of tortoises which formerly included a large number of diverse forms, but is now restricted to certain terrestrial species, such as the European land tortoise (Testudo Graeca) and the gopher of the Southern United States.
testudo (n.)
A cover or screen which a body of troops formed with their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when standing close to each other. This cover resembled the back of a tortoise, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other missiles. A similar defense was sometimes formed of boards, and moved on wheels.
testudo (n.)
A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; -- so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.

testudo
(Testude). In ancient warfare, was a defensive arrangement of the shields, by means of which a body of men advancing against a wall for assault or mining, sought to protect themselves from the darts and weapons of the defenders. The men standing in close order, joined their shields above their heads, the edges overlapping, until the whole resembled the shell of a tortoise (testudo). The name was also applied to a machine moving on wheels, and roofed over, under which soldiers worked in undermining or otherwise destroying the walls in a siege.