leatherback
noun
leath·er·back
| \ ˈle-t͟hər-ˌbak
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Definition of leatherback
: the largest existing sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) distinguished by its flexible carapace composed of a mosaic of small bones embedded in a thick leathery skin
Illustration of leatherback
Examples of leatherback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The official nesting season runs from March 1 through Nov. 15, and the arrival of the three species commonly found on the Treasure Coast overlap; but generally, leatherbacks come first, followed by loggerheads and then green sea turtles. — Tyler Treadway, USA TODAY, "Hurricane Dorian could wash sea turtle nests out to sea amid promising nesting season," 1 Sep. 2019 Three protected species of sea turtles — the loggerhead, green and leatherback — nest at Miami Beach from April to early November, according to the city website. — Kristin Lam, USA TODAY, "Police saw a woman 'stomping' around a sea turtle nest at Miami Beach. She's in jail now," 16 June 2019 An adult Kemp's ridley may weigh less than most teenagers, while a leatherback can outweigh a bison. — Craig Welch, National Geographic, "Sea turtles are being born mostly female due to warming—will they survive?," 4 Apr. 2019 Each year, team members and volunteers rescue nearly 100 loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtles and thousands of hatchlings along the South Florida coast. — Catie Wegman, sun-sentinel.com, "SummerTimeOut: Turtle tours at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach," 26 June 2019 Tracking studies have shown that leatherbacks migrate from Indonesian beaches across the Pacific to feed on jellyfish in California waters. — Gary Robbins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego's scientists span the globe to unearth new discoveries, solve deepest mysteries," 15 Apr. 2018 North Carolina State Parks and Recreation shared photos of the new leatherback nest on Facebook, which is garnering plenty of excitement from the locals. — Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, "World’s Largest Turtle Returns to North Carolina to Nest," 24 May 2018 In 2013, 26-year-old conservationist Jairo Mora Sandoval was murdered while trying to protect leatherback sea turtle nests on Costa Rica’s east coast from egg poachers. — The Editors, Outside Online, "The Best Stories We've Ever Told," 25 May 2018 Gigantic leatherback turtles, topping out at about 2,000 pounds, nest along the beaches, while hippopotamuses body surf in the waves. — Alexandra Wexler, WSJ, "A Next-Level Safari Vacation: The Africa Few Adventurers See," 9 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'leatherback.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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