noun
toad
TOHD/təʊd/
A stout warty-skinned amphibian.
The squat toad has dry, warty skin and short hind legs.
Etymology
Old English tadige already named the amphibian, so the animal sense is inherited. Its earlier origin is unknown, and the evidence does not reveal an original descriptive meaning behind the name.
In context
she became a huge ugly toad with bold staring eyes and a horrible hiss she croaked and she hissed and then hopped away down the castle steps
More examples
- A toad shelters beneath a damp log.
- Toads eat insects in our garden at night.
- We watch a toad hop across the path.
Forms
toad · toads
toadlike adjective — Resembling a toad in physical appearance.