soft-shelled turtle: Meaning and Definition of

soft'-shelled tur'tle

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. any of numerous aquatic turtles of the family Trionychidae, inhabiting North America, Asia, and Africa, having the shell covered with flexible, leathery skin instead of horny plates.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.