toad

American  

[tohd] / toʊd /

noun

1. any of various tailless amphibians that are close relatives of the frogs in the order Anura and that typically have dry, warty skin and are terrestrial or semiterrestrial in habit.

2. Also called true toad.  a toad of the widespread and chiefly terrestrial family Bufonidae, having relatively short hind legs used in hopping and often having at the shoulders swellings containing glands that, along with the skin, secrete an irritating fluid in defense.

3. any of various toadlike animals, as certain lizards.

4. a person or thing as an object of disgust or aversion.

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toad British  

/ təʊd /

noun

1. any anuran amphibian of the class Bufonidae, such as Bufo bufo ( common toad ) of Europe. They are similar to frogs but are more terrestrial, having a drier warty skin

2. any of various similar amphibians of different families

3. a loathsome person

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Other Word Forms

• toadish adjective
• toadishness noun
• toadless adjective
• toadlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of toad

before 1000; Middle English tode, Old English tāde, tādi ( g ) e

Example Sentences

There is a bench shaped like a butterfly, a retaining wall with a snake sculpture, and a green metal gate with an arch in the form of a giant toad.

From Los Angeles Times

Presidents came and went while Hoover sat in FBI headquarters like an all-seeing toad.

From Salon

Tadpoles become toads, and, in tales such as this one, metaphorical toads can be — whether through will, chance, or wishes — transformed into something else.

From Salon

Fish and Wildlife Service’s military conservation partner of the year for its efforts to support the recovery of several species, including the tidewater goby, coastal California gnatcatcher, the arroyo toad and southern California steelhead.

From Los Angeles Times

And then he doesn’t get the response he wants and runs out flailing, like a toad that finally got turned back into a man?

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• frog