tadpole

[ tad-pohl ]

noun

1. the aquatic larva or immature form of frogs and toads, especially after the development of the internal gills and before the appearance of the forelimbs and the resorption of the tail.

tadpole

/ ˈtædˌpəʊl /

noun

1. the aquatic larva of frogs, toads, etc, which develops from a limbless tailed form with external gills into a form with internal gills, limbs, and a reduced tail

Word History and Origins

Origin of tadpole¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English tad(de)pol, equivalent to tad(de) “toad” + pol “head”; toad, poll ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tadpole¹

C15 taddepol, from tadde toad + pol head, poll

Example Sentences

Within four to twelve weeks after hatching, these little tadpoles begin their transformation into toads, with only about 1% making it to adulthood.

From BBC

At another point, McNeish stopped at a dry depression and poked her yardstick into tangled aquatic plants, finding dead tadpoles.

From Los Angeles Times

Finally, other animal species, including other mollusks, the common earthworm and even the tadpole stages of frogs, also possess a typhlosole that has not been thoroughly studied before.

From Science Daily

The research team collected frog eggs from nine populations and allowed them to hatch into tadpoles.

From Science Daily

Frogs switch from herbivores as tadpoles to carnivores as adults, which means they connect different nutrient cycles together in the food web.

From Science Daily

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