ridley

noun

rid·​ley ˈrid-lē How to pronounce ridley (audio)
: either of two sea turtles (genus Lepidochelys of the family Cheloniidae):
a
: kemp's ridley
b
: olive ridley

Examples of ridley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Aside from their diminutive stature, another way the Kemp’s ridley stands out is the fact its females are the only sea turtles that nest during the day. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 16 June 2026 Today, more than half of Kemp’s ridleys in Texas nest at Padre Island National Seashore. — Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2025 Kemp’s ridleys primarily nest on Padre Island in Texas and in Mexico, per the National Park Service. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026 According to Cook, while there has been an increase in the number of certain sea turtle species’ numbers, such as greens, loggerheads and Kemp’s ridleys, species such as Pacific leatherbacks are seeing a dramatic decline in numbers. — Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 7 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for ridley

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ridley was in 1926

Phrases Containing ridley

Browse Nearby Words

riding whip
ridley
Ridley
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ridley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ridley. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Biographical Definition

Ridley

biographical name

Rid·​ley ˈrid-lē How to pronounce Ridley (audio)
Nicholas circa 1503–1555 English reformer and martyr

More from Merriam-Webster on ridley

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ridley

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All