toad

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

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 on the Web

The review, published last week in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, looked at over 300 studies of animals including birds, mammals, insects, frogs and toads who practice turn-taking behavior. — Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian, "Some Animals Take Turns While Talking, Just Like Humans. Why?," 20 June 2018 During the late 20th century, scientists found that macaques, cats, horses, owls and toads have this superpower. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Praying Mantises Don Tiny Goggles to Help Us Understand 3-D Vision," 10 Feb. 2018 When outdoors on a summer evening, just assume there are toads underfoot. — Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, "5 Ways To Attract Toads To Your Garden (And Why You’d Totally Want To)," 16 May 2017 Thumbelina is kidnapped from the woman who grows her in a tulip from a grain of barley and nearly coerced into marriages with, sequentially, a toad and a mole. — Louis Bayard, New York Times, "Audiobooks for Summer Trips With the Kids," 28 May 2018 Silence your internal neat freak A well-kempt garden is the toad’s worst enemy. — Molly Marquand, Good Housekeeping, "5 Ways To Attract Toads To Your Garden (And Why You’d Totally Want To)," 16 May 2017 San Diego animals like the Arroyo toad and the Stephens’s kangaroo rat can greatly benefit from long-term monitoring. — Cliff Kapono, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Zoo studies return of the giant panda," 6 July 2018 In 2014, a toxic invasive species—the Asian common toad—was spotted in Madagascar’s largest seaport. — Katie Langin, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: toxic toads, three-parent babies in Singapore, and the hunt for the Lost Colony," 8 June 2018 Lee Sizemore, once a slimy toad of a man, gets a hero’s death helping Maeve and Hector escape. — refinery29.com, "Westworld Season 2 Finale Recap: A Whole Lotta Ben Barnes," 25 June 2018

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.