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🐸 A tropical frog 🐸 A barking frog
robber frog

robber frog

9.6
A small frog from the southwestern United States and Mexico that makes a sound like a barking dog
  • noun
  • /ˈrɑbər frɔg/
  • Specialized
translation icon : rana ladrón
  • Many hikers were surprised to learn that the robber frog's croak sounds like a barking dog.

Examples

  • Researchers studied the habitat of the robber frog in the arid regions of northern Mexico.

  • At night, the distinctive call of the robber frog echoed through the desert canyon.

  • The robber frog is known for its unique call.

  • Have you ever heard a robber frog bark?

  • At night, the distinctive call of the robber frog echoed through the desert canyon.

  • Many hikers were surprised to learn that the robber frog's croak sounds like a barking dog.

  • Have you ever heard a robber frog bark in the quiet of the night?

Synonyms

barking frog
vsrobber frog
  • US
8.8

A frog that makes a sound like a small dog

is an alternative common name referring to the same species
Hylactophryne augusti
vsrobber frog
  • Specialized
9.9

A frog from the US and Mexico that makes a barking sound like a dog

is the common English name used for the same species

Surface Forms

robber frog singular
robber frogs plural

Morphology

robber + frog

The phrase clearly denotes a kind of frog (so a learner who knows 'frog' will infer it refers to a frog), but the specific sense signalled by 'robber' (why the frog is labelled as a 'robber' or its bark-like call and regional identity) is not predictable from the constituents. Thus the compound is partly compositional (type of frog) but the informative meaning is metaphorical/arbitrary and would likely require prior exposure.

Etymology

Robber frog may come from a frog's loud call that sounds like a small dog's 'bark', so people thought it could warn of a robber. That's why this name fits the small frog known for its barking call.