The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Tortoise \Tor"toise\, n. [OE. tortuce, fr. OF. tortis crooked,
   fr. L. tortus twisted, crooked, contorted, p. p. of torquere,
   tortum, to wind; cf. F. tortue tortoise, LL. tortuca,
   tartuca, Pr. tortesa crookedness, tortis crooked. so called
   in allusion to its crooked feet. See Torture.]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of reptiles of the
      order Testudinata.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The term is applied especially to the land and
         fresh-water species, while the marine species are
         generally called turtles, but the terms tortoise and
         turtle are used synonymously by many writers. See
         Testudinata, Terrapin, and Turtle.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. (Rom. Antiq.) Same as Testudo, 2.
      [1913 Webster]

   Box tortoise, Land tortoise, etc. See under Box,
      Land, etc.

   Painted tortoise. (Zool.) See Painted turtle, under
      Painted.

   Soft-shell tortoise. (Zool.) See Trionyx.

   Spotted tortoise. (Zool.) A small American fresh-water
      tortoise (Chelopus guttatus or Nanemys guttatus)
      having a blackish carapace on which are scattered round
      yellow spots.

   Tortoise beetle (Zool.), any one of numerous species of
      small tortoise-shaped beetles. Many of them have a
      brilliant metallic luster. The larvae feed upon the leaves
      of various plants, and protect themselves beneath a mass
      of dried excrement held over the back by means of the
      caudal spines. The golden tortoise beetle (Cassida
      aurichalcea) is found on the morning-glory vine and
      allied plants.

   Tortoise plant. (Bot.) See Elephant's foot, under
      Elephant.

   Tortoise shell, the substance of the shell or horny plates
      of several species of sea turtles, especially of the
      hawkbill turtle. It is used in inlaying and in the
      manufacture of various ornamental articles.

   Tortoise-shell butterfly (Zool.), any one of several
      species of handsomely colored butterflies of the genus
      Aglais, as Aglais Milberti, and Aglais urticae, both
      of which, in the larva state, feed upon nettles.

   Tortoise-shell turtle (Zool.), the hawkbill turtle. See
      Hawkbill.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Elephant \El"e*phant\ ([e^]l"[-e]*fant), n. [OE. elefaunt,
   olifant, OF. olifant, F. ['e]l['e]phant, L. elephantus,
   elephas, -antis, fr. Gr. 'ele`fas, 'ele`fantos; of unknown
   origin; perh. fr. Skr. ibha, with the Semitic article al, el,
   prefixed, or fr. Semitic Aleph hindi Indian bull; or cf.
   Goth. ulbandus camel, AS. olfend.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) A mammal of the order Proboscidia and family
      Elephantidae, of which two living species, Elephas
      maximus (formerly Elephas Indicus) and Loxodonta
      Africana (formerly E. Africanus), and several fossil
      species, are known. They have five toes, a long proboscis
      or trunk, and two large ivory tusks proceeding from the
      extremity of the upper jaw, and curving upwards. The molar
      teeth are large and have transverse folds. Elephants are
      the largest land animals now existing. The elephant is
      classed as a pachyderm.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Ivory; the tusk of the elephant. [Obs.] --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

   Elephant apple (Bot.), an East Indian fruit with a rough,
      hard rind, and edible pulp, borne by Feronia elephantum,
      a large tree related to the orange.

   Elephant bed (Geol.), at Brighton, England, abounding in
      fossil remains of elephants. --Mantell.

   Elephant beetle (Zo["o]l.), any very large beetle of the
      genus Goliathus (esp. G. giganteus), of the family
      Scarab[ae]id[ae]. They inhabit West Africa.

   Elephant fish (Zo["o]l.), a chim[ae]roid fish
      (Callorhynchus antarcticus), with a proboscis-like
      projection of the snout.

   Elephant paper, paper of large size, 23 [times] 28 inches.


   Double elephant paper, paper measuring 263/4 [times] 40
      inches. See Note under Paper.

   Elephant seal (Zo["o]l.), an African jumping shrew
      (Macroscelides typicus), having a long nose like a
      proboscis.

   Elephant's ear (Bot.), a name given to certain species of
      the genus Begonia, which have immense one-sided leaves.

   Elephant's foot (Bot.)
      (a) A South African plant (Testudinaria Elephantipes),
          which has a massive rootstock covered with a kind of
          bark cracked with deep fissures; -- called also
          tortoise plant. The interior part is barely edible,
          whence the plant is also called Hottentot's bread.
      (b) A genus (Elephantopus) of coarse, composite weeds.


   Elephant's tusk (Zo["o]l.), the tooth shell. See
      Dentalium.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

tortoise plant
    n 1: South African vine having a massive rootstock covered with
         deeply fissured bark [syn: elephant's-foot, tortoise
         plant, Hottentot bread vine, Hottentot's bread vine,
         Dioscorea elephantipes]