toad

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noun \ ˈtōd \

Definition of toad

1 :any of numerous anuran amphibians (especially family Bufonidae) that are distinguished from the related frogs by being more terrestrial in habit though returning to water to lay their eggs, by having a build that is squatter and shorter with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry, and warty rather than smooth and moist

2 :a contemptible person or thing

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Examples of toad in a Sentence

He's such a mean little toad.
that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend

Recent Examples of toad from the Web

The department was falling to pieces because of a few poisonous toads that the management refused to deal with and allowed to spit their venom all around.

— heather havrilesky, The Cut, "Ask Polly: I Hate All Jobs!," 26 July 2017
Charred onion pho dip with tendon puffs could rule any Super Bowl spread, while the truffled toad-in-a-hole resembles an amplified riff on the croque madame.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Barber’s dreamlike images of a rose, a toad, an LSD tab, and a Dead End sign are printed on the back of classic white short- and long-sleeve tees which will be available at Saturdays for $55 to $70.

— steff yotka, Vogue, "Midsummer Blues? These T-Shirts Will Help," 13 July 2017
Detroit Free Press With frogs and toads reeling worldwide from environmental threats,

— bill laitner, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Zoo sending 5,600 tadpoles to permanent vacation in Puerto Rico," 12 July 2017
For details, call (847) 850-2138 or see bgparks.org. Don't jump to conclusions Learn for sure the difference between a frog and a toad at Frog Finders, 1 p.m. July 9 at Crabtree Nature Center, 3 Stover Road, Barrington Hills.

— myrna petlicki, chicagotribune.com, "Balloons become machines at Smarty Pants show," 6 July 2017
Cyrano similarly ennobles everyone around him, from Roxane to an initial toad like DeGuiche (John Taylor Phillips).

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Winner by a nose: James Ridge embodies the passion of 'Cyrano de Bergerac'," 3 July 2017
So D’Orio and Arbesu, who caught only 10 bass all day, threw Zoom Horny Toads and soft-plastic snakes in the pads.

— steve waters, Sun-Sentinel.com, "D'Orio and Arbesu persevere to win Glades Masters bass tournament," 27 June 2017
When in flight, the deep warbling call of the nighthawk could easily be confused as a toad.

— ernie cowan, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It takes patience to spot, photograph nighthawk after dark," 16 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'toad.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.