American green toad
- noun
- /əˈmɛrɪkən ɡrin toʊd/
- US
:
sapo verde americano
- The American green toad is known for its distinctive coloring and markings.
Examples
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We spotted several American green toads near the edge of the pond.
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The American green toad is often found near water.
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Herpetologists often study the American green toad to understand its habitat preferences.
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I spotted an American green toad in my backyard.
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The American green toad is often found near ponds and marshes in North America.
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Herpetologists often study the American green toad to learn more about its breeding habits.
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As the sun set, we heard the calls of the American green toads croaking near the water.
Synonyms
A small greenish toad with black stripes from the southwestern United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is fully compositional: 'American' specifies origin/region, 'green' specifies color, and 'toad' names the animal, so the overall meaning ('a green toad from America') is directly inferable from the parts. This follows a common adjective + noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
American green toad comes from a simple naming picture used by people who study animals: they often put place, color, and animal together. American tells where it lives, green shows its color, and toad is the animal, so the name means 'a small green toad from North America'.
