any tailless, stout-bodied amphibian of the order Anura, including the smooth, moist-skinned frog species that live in a damp or semiaquatic habitat and the warty, drier-skinned toad species that are mostly terrestrial as adults.
Also called true frog, ranid. any frog of the widespread family Ranidae, most members of which are semiaquatic and have smooth, moist skin and relatively long hind legs used for leaping.
a slight hoarseness, usually caused by mucus on the vocal cords.
a frog in the throat.
(often initial capital letter) a contemptuous term used to refer to a French person or a person of French descent.
a small holder made of heavy material, placed in a bowl or vase to hold flower stems in position.
a recessed panel on one of the larger faces of a brick or the like.
Music. nut.
an ornamental fastening for the front of a coat, consisting of a button and a loop through which it passes.
a sheath suspended from a belt and supporting a scabbard.
any insectivorous anuran amphibian of the family Ranidae , such as Rana temporaria of Europe, having a short squat tailless body with a moist smooth skin and very long hind legs specialized for hopping
any of various similar amphibians of related families, such as the tree frog
any spiked or perforated object used to support plant stems in a flower arrangement
a recess in a brick to reduce its weight
phlegm on the vocal cords that affects one's speech
(often plural) a decorative fastening of looped braid or cord, as on the front of a 19th-century military uniform
a loop or other attachment on a belt to hold the scabbard of a sword, etc
music
the ledge or ridge at the upper end of the fingerboard of a violin, cello, etc, over which the strings pass to the tuning pegs
Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): nut. the end of a violin bow that is held by the player
The use of the word frog to mean “a French person” is a slur that arose because the French were stereotypically thought of as eating frogs.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English frogge, Old English frogga, frocga; compare dialectal Middle English frosh, Old Norse froskr, Old High German frosk ( German Frosch ); frog 1 defs. 5, 6 of unclear derivation
First recorded in 1710–20; perhaps from Portuguese froco, from Latin floccus “tuft of wool”; see flock 2
An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; of uncertain origin
First recorded in 1600–10; compare earlier frush in same sense, probably from French fourchette “fork” ( see fourchette); presumably identified with dialectal frosh “frog,” hence with frog 1
A frog is a small amphibian with long back legs that allow it to hop. Most frogs have fat little bodies and bulging eyes on top of their heads. You'll often find frogs near fresh water lakes and ponds, since they lay their eggs in the water. Perhaps the most famous literary frog is the one from the German fairy tale "The Frog Prince," in which a princess's kiss transforms a frog back into the prince he once was. Frog is also a very rude informal term for a person from France.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sofiyka eats her semolina from a green bowl shaped like a frog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
OpenAI’s Dots agents, which also launched last month, let users pick from fuzzy characters like Todd the frog, digital pets or custom-designed avatars.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
Suddenly, the frog jumped out of the pot.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
In this case, combining 19th-century museum specimens with observations of living frog populations allowed researchers to determine that Pristimantis milpe deserved recognition as a distinct species.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026
And the way he did it made my rat thing seem about like putting a frog in somebody’s bed.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
A 27-year-old named Kelley Dennison running to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, for example, has posted Groyper-style memes, including one of her as the Groyper mascot, a derivative of Pepe the Frog.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
While Parton’s most obvious Muppet counterpart is Miss Piggy, her duet with Kermit the Frog, performed on a 1987 episode of her variety show, encapsulates everything we adored about her — and him.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
Miss Piggy, her paramour Kermit the Frog, Gonzo, and Fozzie have reunited for the one-off show to mark its 50th birthday, after their beloved film outings such as Muppet Christmas Carol.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2026
I met a married couple at a No Kings rally in Sacramento who were dressed up as dinosaurs, inspired by the Portland Frog, an activist who wears an inflatable amphibian suit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 28, 2025
In the marina the water was like a lake, sheltered and placid, but as soon as the Frog cleared the retaining walls she took the hall Pacific Ocean head on.
From "The Voyage Of The Frog" by Gary Paulsen
For nearly 50 years, scientists have struggled to explain why frogs began disappearing from Brazil's Atlantic Forest, one of the world's richest regions for amphibian diversity.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026
Fully grown, the frogs weigh less than 1.75g.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Fifteen critically endangered frogs have hatched at London Zoo, which says it marks the first time the species has been bred in captivity.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
I pivoted back to the overlook, where a beautiful white ibis was hunting for frogs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“We’re going to open up these frogs and see what makes them tick. You never truly know how an organism works until you see what’s going on inside.”
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
Dressed up in an elaborate frogged coat and sword, he was honored by budding Novelist Fanny Burney, who praised him as a "lyon of lyons."
From Time Magazine Archive
Crisp autumn weather had come to Washington, and Harry Truman caught a cold that frogged his throat at times.
From Time Magazine Archive
From Windsor with his good wife and the Prince of Wales he drove through the rain in a landau drawn by six perfectly matched greys mounted by postillions in scarlet coats frogged with gold.
From Time Magazine Archive
As a Cathedral Dean he wears four frogged buttons on his cuff There are six buttons on his cutaway coat.
From Time Magazine Archive
He wore narrow cotton trousers, black heelless slippers, and a frogged Chinese smock.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
When it came to clothing he allowed himself extraordinary freedom, the frogging on uniforms or lace on a dress sketched in thick impasto rather than being laboriously defined.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 26, 2015
And her young protégé Chris Van Hollen hails from the same state as Hoyer — Maryland — complicating any lea- frogging.
From Time ● Dec. 18, 2013
The film has it more or less right: a dark blue coat with silver frogging and braided epaulettes, partnered with skintight white breeches.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 5, 2012
Hence the nod to military influences — the Burberry heritage — presented as a much slimmer, belted jacket or a cardigan fastened with military frogging.
From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2011
And, being superfluous, I withdrew mentally to a canoe in a lonely lake and went frogging.
From Joy in the Morning by Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
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