a large turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, of warm and tropical seas, having a ridged leathery carapace: family Dermochelidae
Also called (in Britain): leathery turtle
leatherback in American English
(ˈlɛðərˌbæk)
noun
the only species (Dermochelys coriacea) of a family (Dermochelyidae) of tropical sea turtles, covered with a tough, leathery upper shell: it is the largest living turtle, weighing up to c. 725 kg (c. 1,600 lb)