testud- +

A reference to a tortoise.

Referring to the shell of a tortoise; resembling a tortoise shell; having the color or markings of a tortoise shell.

An order of reptiles which includes the turtles and tortoises.

The body is covered by a shell consisting of an upper or dorsal shell, called the carapace, and a lower or ventral shell, called the plastron, each of which consists of several plates.

1. Resembling a tortoise shell.
2. Relating to, or resembling, a turtle or tortoise.
3. A turtle or tortoise.

Resembling a tortoise shell.

1. 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.
2. From Roman antiquity, covers or screens which bodies of troops formed with their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when standing close to each other.

These covers resembled the back of tortoises, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other missiles. Similar defenses were sometimes formed of boards and moved on wheels.

Land tortoises.

1. Among the ancient Romans, a movable shelter with a strong and usually fireproof arched roof, used for protection of soldiers in siege operations.
2. A shelter formed by overlapping oblong shields, held by soldiers above their heads.
3. When capitalized, a genus of turtles, the land tortoise.