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# toad

«toad» in Mova's school dictionary: **a small animal like a frog, an amphibian, usually with…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (toad, toads)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A toad is a small animal like a frog, an amphibian, usually with dry, bumpy skin and short legs that make it walk or hop rather than leap. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#m1)

2) Calling someone a toad is an old insult meaning a nasty person. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#m2)

### sense in the lessons

In science, toads are amphibians: they lay eggs (spawn, in strings) in water, the eggs hatch into tadpoles, which grow legs and become toads — a life cycle pupils draw. Toads spend more time on land than frogs. Safety: many toads have poison glands — do not lick or eat them, keep dogs away, and wash hands after touching; the cane toad in Australia is poisonous and a pest. In stories: Toad of Toad Hall («The Wind in the Willows»), the frog-prince tales. Phrases: common toad, cane toad, toad spawn, toadstool.

### examples

- A toad has dry, warty skin, but a frog's skin is smooth and wet. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x1)
- Toads lay their eggs in long strings. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x2)
- The tadpoles will grow into toads. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x3)
- Cane toads are a big problem in Queensland. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x4)
- Wash your hands after holding a toad. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x5)
- Mr Toad loved fast cars. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x6)
- A toad sat very still by the pond, waiting for a fly. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x7)
- Listen!” replied the great old toad. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/#x8)

### note

Countable: toads. Myth: touching a toad does not give you warts. A «toadstool» is not a stool for toads — it is a mushroom, often poisonous. Toad vs frog: toads usually have drier, bumpier skin, shorter legs, and walk more.

### In the corpora

- [Warts on people are caused by a virus that passes between people, not by toads; the bumps on a toad are glands.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/89-amphibian-room-poison-frogs-axolotls-frog-rescue/15/)
- [Toads walk more than they hop and have drier, bumpier skin than frogs.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/247-defences-poison-warning-colours-and-mimics/13/)
- [A week or so later, long strings of eggs wound round the weeds in deeper water show that toads have come too.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/309-frogs-and-toads-near-home-spawn-croaking-choruses-toad-crossings-and-the-fire-bellied-toad/1/)
- [Wash your hands after touching any frog or toad, and wet your hands first to protect its skin.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/309-frogs-and-toads-near-home-spawn-croaking-choruses-toad-crossings-and-the-fire-bellied-toad/12/)
- [Toad is out on the river, says the Otter, in a brand-new racing boat with new clothes and new everything.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/27-willows-ch1-part3-otter-badger-and-toad/6/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «toad» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/toad/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.