Illustration of tadpole
- tadpole in stages
: a larval amphibian
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
Examples of tadpole in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the immature stages, or tadpoles, of Cuban treefrogs prey on the tadpoles of native species.
—
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
Weeks later, the nearly 250 tadpoles were successfully reared into frogs.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Thirty-five years prior, in 1962, biologist John Gurdon had produced living tadpoles from the adult cells of a frog.
—Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2025
Male Darwin’s frogs actually carry tadpoles inside their vocal sacs as a protective act while the larvae metamorphose into froglets.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tadpole
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2025
Weeks later, the nearly 250 tadpoles were successfully reared into frogs.
—Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025
Thirty-five years prior, in 1962, biologist John Gurdon had produced living tadpoles from the adult cells of a frog.
—Sarah Holzmann, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Feb. 2025
Male Darwin’s frogs actually carry tadpoles inside their vocal sacs as a protective act while the larvae metamorphose into froglets.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tadpole
Cite this Entry
“Tadpole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tadpole. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tadpole
noun
tad·pole
ˈtad-ˌpōl 
: the larva of a frog or toad that has a rounded body and a long tail, breathes with gills, and lives in water
called also pollywog
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."
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share