tadpole
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tadpole
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tad(de)pol, equivalent to tad(de) “toad” + pol “head”; toad, poll 1
Explanation
A tadpole is basically a baby frog — it's the larval form of this aquatic animal. Tadpoles are tiny round creatures with long tails and gills for breathing underwater. One of many amazing things about frogs and toads is the transformation they go through during their life cycle. Tadpoles, also called pollywogs, look like tiny fish. During metamorphosis, their gills become lungs, they grow legs, and their tails are absorbed into their bodies. Adult frogs have little resemblance to the tadpoles they once were. Tadpole comes from roots meaning "toad" and "head."
Vocabulary lists containing tadpole
Animals (Zoology) - Introductory
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Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Animals (Zoology) - High School
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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.
Astronomers suggest that the Tadpole might be orbiting a dark object, most likely a black hole 100,000 times more massive than the Sun.
From Space Scoop • Mar. 7, 2023
She now has a company, Tadpole Salon, where she works with artists on business strategy.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 26, 2022
Highlights for the little ones include the two wave pools and Tadpole Bay, designed to make it easy to keep an eye on tots while they splash.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2014
He took the pup home and named him Tadpole.
From New York Times • Jul. 15, 2013
It would be hard to tell just what he did look like, for there is nothing in the world that one Tadpole looks like unless it is another Tadpole.
From Among the Pond People by Pierson, Clara Dillingham
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.
