turtling meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

turtling

noun

Etymology From turtle + -ing.

The hunting of turtles (the reptiles).

Figuratively Any slow progression or build-up.

Card games, Computer games, Games A defensive strategy of avoiding conflict, by maintaining strong defense and little to no offense, while remaining in a fixed position.

turtling

noun

Etymology From turtle + -ling.

A baby turtle.

Drowsy with dawn, barely asail, Buzzes the blue-bottle over the shale, Scared from the pool by the leaping trout; And the brood of turtlings clamber out On the log by their oozy house.1912, William Vaughn Moody, The poems and plays of William Vaughn Moody:
The turtle-lings, kept in safety until they are three months old, are then released into the wild.1997, Sportdiving, volumes 59-64, page 94:

1 more example

Fifty days later, more or less, the little turtlings hatch, dig their way up through the sand, and make a mad scramble to the sea.2012, Alexandra de Vries, Shawn Blore, Frommer's Brazil: