spadefoot toad

noun

spade·​foot toad ˈspād-ˌfu̇t- How to pronounce spadefoot toad (audio)
: any of a family (Pelobatidae) of burrowing toads having the inner bone of the tarsus edged with a strong horny sheath with which they dig

Examples of spadefoot toad in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Female plains spadefoot toads start seeking out not the duckish quacks of their own species but the baritone trills of the Mexican spadefoot toad. — Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 7 July 2022 When the Land Comes to Life To survive the dry times, the spadefoot toad will spend years of its life burrowed down in the mud beneath the playa floor. — John Richard Saylor, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2021 Opponents of the proposal want the county to consider different locations for the park site, arguing the project may harm a variety of native species to the area, including the western spadefoot toad and pallid bats. — Hannah Elsmore, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spadefoot toad was in 1867

Rhymes for spadefoot toad

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Browse Nearby Words

spadefoot
spadefoot toad
spadeful
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Cite this Entry

“Spadefoot toad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spadefoot%20toad. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on spadefoot toad

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about spadefoot toad

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