frogs

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).