poison dart frog
noun
: any of several small brightly colored frogs (family Dendrobatidae) of tropical Central and South America that produce poisonous secretions sometimes used by native peoples to poison dart or arrow tips
called also poison arrow frog
Examples of poison dart frog in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s the case for the poison dart frog of South America: a colorful killer that releases poison through its skin and is considered one of Earth's most toxic creatures.
—
Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland were curious if the dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) had cannibalistic behavior.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2022
One famous example is the poison dart frog, which releases a harmful chemical that could kill a human within minutes, according to Miller.
—Carina Woudenberg, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2022
The title of most poisonous animal on Earth is typically given to the beautiful and deadly golden poison dart frog of Columbia—the one-inch-long frog is sometimes drenched in enough poison to kill ten grown men.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2020
That may be why blue poison dart frog dads are so devoted to them—although their version of TLC may strike us as eww.
—National Geographic, 14 June 2019
Blue poison dart frog males go to lengths to keep their offspring alive.
—National Geographic, 14 June 2019
The same cannot be said of the deadliest of South America’s colorful poison dart frogs, which are full of batrachotoxin but don’t actually produce it.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 25 Sep. 2018
The striking bright blues, yellows, and oranges of poison dart frogs are a classic example of warning coloration, sending a message to predators to stay away.
—Michael Allen, Science | AAAS, 13 June 2018
Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland were curious if the dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) had cannibalistic behavior.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2022
One famous example is the poison dart frog, which releases a harmful chemical that could kill a human within minutes, according to Miller.
—Carina Woudenberg, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2022
The title of most poisonous animal on Earth is typically given to the beautiful and deadly golden poison dart frog of Columbia—the one-inch-long frog is sometimes drenched in enough poison to kill ten grown men.
—Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2020
That may be why blue poison dart frog dads are so devoted to them—although their version of TLC may strike us as eww.
—National Geographic, 14 June 2019
Blue poison dart frog males go to lengths to keep their offspring alive.
—National Geographic, 14 June 2019
The same cannot be said of the deadliest of South America’s colorful poison dart frogs, which are full of batrachotoxin but don’t actually produce it.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 25 Sep. 2018
The striking bright blues, yellows, and oranges of poison dart frogs are a classic example of warning coloration, sending a message to predators to stay away.
—Michael Allen, Science | AAAS, 13 June 2018
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poison dart frog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1968, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near poison dart frog
Cite this Entry
“Poison dart frog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison%20dart%20frog. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
More from Merriam-Webster on poison dart frog
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about poison dart frog
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share