specifically: a frog or toad larva that has a rounded body with a long tail bordered by fins and external gills soon replaced by internal gills and that undergoes a metamorphosis to the adult
Illustration of tadpole
tadpole in stages
Examples of tadpole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebAll frogs, tadpoles, or other animals caught are released, Spaur said.—Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 22 Mar. 2024 Frogs and toads go from being tadpoles who only have gills to growing lungs.—Beth Lipoff, Kansas City Star, 10 May 2024 See baby tadpoles and salamander larvae swimming around.—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2024 Since then, the clip has been watched more than 2.2 million times, and spawned imitators like so many schools of tadpoles.—Emily Heil, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 So far, four partial egg masses were taken from ponds on the Mitsui Ranch Preserve and placed into three ponds on the preserve, which were enclosed to protect the eggs and tadpoles from outside predators, the nonprofit said.—Daniella Segura, Sacramento Bee, 29 Feb. 2024 But then, millions of western toad tadpoles began their migration from the lake’s depths to the lily pads and shallows above, to feed on the algae.—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 The result looks a bit like a tadpole, with a long, thin tail of spaghettified material and a denser oval structure similar to the head at one end, encompassing the black hole.—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 Jan. 2024 Yet all of them spawn as larvae that vaguely resemble tadpoles.—Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 16 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tadpole.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English taddepol, from tode toad + polle head
: the larva of a frog or toad that has a rounded body and a long tail, breathes with gills, and lives in water
called alsopollywog
Etymology
Middle English taddepol "tadpole," from tode "toad" and polle "head"
Word Origin
A young tadpole looks like a large head with a tail. In time it will develop back legs and then front legs. Finally it will lose its tail and become a toad or a frog. Our word for this immature form of a toad or frog comes from Middle English taddepol. This word was a combination of two others, tode, meaning "toad," and polle, meaning "head."
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