: 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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Don’t count out annual flowers such as dahlias, zinnias and Bolivian verbena and even some non-native autumn bloomers such as toad lilies.—Beth Botts, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2025 Holding a Sonoran Desert toad and squeezing the slimy glands on its head to extract its toxic secretions is a strange experience.—Christopher Timmermann, Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025 No female Weixin leaf litter toads were found, and much about the new species remains unknown.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025 Giant murals with his face have gone up in the city; a few others feature Concho, the delightful toad character that’s become a staple in videos and promo from his latest album DeBÍ TiRAR MÁS FOTOS, which the show is crafted around.—Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 26 July 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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