Illustration of hawksbill turtle
hawksbill turtle
noun
hawks·bill turtle ˈhȯks-ˌbil- 
variants or hawksbill
: a small- to medium-sized sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) of warm waters that has a narrow hawk-like beak, an upper shell of overlapping horny plates, and usually two claws on each forelimb
Note: The hawksbill turtle feeds chiefly on sponges. Its mottled brownish upper shell was used especially formerly to produce tortoiseshell.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Part of the conservation effort focuses on the endangered green and hawksbill turtle species that are native to the area. 
Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2021 Along the way, meet locals like the Hawaiian hawksbill turtle and the wild nēnē (goose), and listen to the dawn chorus. New York Times, 24 Nov. 2020 Previous studies on hawksbill turtles already have helped Omani and Emirati officials begin rethinking boundaries of some marine protected areas. National Geographic, 16 June 2018 Open to people only from September to May, the island is the summer nesting site for migratory birds flying thousands of miles from the west coast of Africa and hawksbill turtles who lay their eggs on the unruffled sand. Melanie Reffes, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2018
Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2021 Along the way, meet locals like the Hawaiian hawksbill turtle and the wild nēnē (goose), and listen to the dawn chorus. New York Times, 24 Nov. 2020 Previous studies on hawksbill turtles already have helped Omani and Emirati officials begin rethinking boundaries of some marine protected areas. National Geographic, 16 June 2018 Open to people only from September to May, the island is the summer nesting site for migratory birds flying thousands of miles from the west coast of Africa and hawksbill turtles who lay their eggs on the unruffled sand. Melanie Reffes, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2018 Word History
First Known Use
1712, in the meaning defined above