froghopper

American

[frog-hop-er, frawg-] / ˈfrɒgˌhɒp ər, ˈfrɔg- /

noun

any of numerous leaping, homopterous insects of the family Cercopidae, which in the immature stages live in a spittlelike secretion on plants.

froghopper British

/ ˈfrɒɡˌhɒpə /

noun

Also called: spittle insect. spittlebug. any small leaping herbivorous homopterous insect of the family Cercopidae , whose larvae secrete a protective spittle-like substance around themselves

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of froghopper

First recorded in 1705–15; frog ¹ + hopper

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Spittlebug” is a term that refers to the immature stage of insects often called froghoppers.

From Science Magazine

Spittlebugs are in a class of insects called froghoppers.

From Washington Post

A meadow froghopper urinates so much that it could drown itself.

From New York Times

More than 11,000 sightings of the spittlebug, or froghopper, have been recorded across the UK, with the south of England proving a stronghold.

From BBC

Eventually the spittlebugs retreat into one large bubble and undergo a transformation to emerge as froghoppers.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023