canyon treefrog
- noun
- /ˈkæn.jən ˈtriː.frog/
- US
:
rana de cañón
- Researchers studied the breeding habits of the canyon treefrog in southern Arizona.
Examples
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You can often hear the distinctive call of the canyon treefrog near canyon pools at night.
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The canyon treefrog can be found resting on sunlit rocks along desert streams.
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Look at that canyon treefrog!
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The canyon treefrog is often found near streams.
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The canyon treefrog can often be spotted hiding among the rocks near flowing water.
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During the summer, the canyon treefrog jumps from rock to rock in search of insects near the river.
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At dusk, the canyon treefrog's calls echo through the canyons as they look for mates.
Synonyms
A small frog that lives on the ground near streams in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico
Surface Forms
Morphology
canyon + treefrog
The meaning is directly compositional: 'canyon' specifies the habitat/location and 'treefrog' names the type of frog, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes a treefrog found in canyons. This noun‑noun compound follows a common, cross‑linguistic pattern of location/modifier + head noun and is therefore transparent.
Etymology
Canyon treefrog gets its name from where it lives and what it is: a small treefrog found in rocky canyon areas near water in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. That's why the name means 'a small frog you often find on rocks and plants by canyon streams'.
