frog

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Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
frog1
noun
  • 1 a tailless amphibian with a short squat body, moist smooth skin, and very long hind legs for leaping. [Many species, chiefly in family Ranidae.]
  • 2 (Frog) informal, derogatory a French person.
– phrases
have a frog in one's throat informal lose one's voice or find it hard to speak because of hoarseness.
– derivatives
froggy adjective,
froglet noun.
– origin OE frogga, of Gmc origin; a general term of abuse in ME. Its application to the French (C18) is partly alliterative, partly from the reputation of the French for eating frogs' legs.



Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
frog2
noun
  • 1 a thing used to hold or fasten something.
  • 2 an ornamental coat fastener consisting of a spindle-shaped button and a loop.
  • 3 an attachment to a belt for holding a sword or bayonet.
  • 4 a perforated or spiked device for holding the stems of flowers in an arrangement.
– derivatives
frogged adjective,
frogging noun.
– origin C18: perh. a use of frog1, influenced by Ital. forchetta or Fr. fourchette ‘small fork’, because of the shape.



Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
frog3
noun an elastic horny pad growing in the sole of a horse's hoof, helping to absorb the shock when the hoof hits the ground.
– origin C17: perh. from frog1; perh. also influenced by Ital. forchetta or Fr. fourchette (see frog2).
'frog' also found in these Oxford entries:

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