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,. Also called 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.
Preserved within the cave were fossils belonging to 12 bird species and four frog species, offering a rare snapshot of a world that existed hundreds of thousands of years before humans reached the islands.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
Drake is the frog that’s been struck by lightning.
From Salon • May 21, 2026
A few steps away, an artist sat ready to sketch digital portraits, reimagining guests as Pepe, the wide-eyed frog behind the one of industry’s most popular memecoins.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Allusion in the previous episode to the scorpion and frog fable?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
Pearl, true to her word, handed Lexie a typed-up essay the next week—the story of the frog prince, from the point of view of the frog.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
