: 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
He's such a mean little toad.
that miserable toad is lucky to have even a single friend
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The toad, found in the Páramo de Siscunsí, highlights the importance of community involvement in conservation efforts.—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 The popular reptile became TCU’s mascot in 1897 when yearbook editors photographed horny toads covering the football field.—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025 Dogs like to catch them in their mouths, and the toad excretes the poison into dog's mouth.—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025 Sometimes this plant is called hairy toad lily because all of its parts are hairy.—Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for toad
Word History
Etymology
Middle English tode, from Old English tāde, tādige
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of toad was
before the 12th century
: any of numerous tailless leaping amphibians that lay their eggs in water and are distinguished from the related frogs by living on land more often, by having a build that is shorter and thicker with weaker and shorter hind limbs, and by having skin that is rough, dry and warty rather than smooth and moist
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