Word: Frog

Pronunciation

/frɑːɡ/ (UK), /frɔɡ/ (US)

Definitions

• Noun: A small, tailless amphibian with smooth, moist skin, typically living near water and breeding in it. Frogs usually have long hind legs adapted for jumping. For example: “A frog hopped across the pond.”

  • As a metaphor: A person who moves abruptly or suddenly, often unexpectedly. E.g., “The politician’s sudden change of stance made him seem like a slippery frog.”

• Verb: (informal) To catch or kill frogs, typically for food or sport. For example: “In some regions, children enjoy frogging by the river during summer.”

Phrases

• “A bullfrog in a china shop” refers to someone who is clumsy or disruptive in a delicate situation.
• “Jump like a frog” is used to describe someone making a big leap or moving suddenly.
• “The frog in the well” is a metaphorical idiom meaning someone with limited knowledge or experience due to their narrow perspective.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “The biologist was studying the lifecycle of the common frog.”
• Verb: “They went out frogging at night using nets and flashlights.”

Synonyms

• Toad (closely related species)
• Amphibian
• Leap-frog (referring to the action of jumping like a frog)
• Pond dweller
• Batrachian (formal term for any member of the order Anura, which includes frogs and toads)