horned toad
1
7.5
- noun
- /hɔrnəd toʊd/
- US
- FINEST LOOKIN' HORNED TOAD I EVER SEEN.
Examples
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Everything was tan, but not an even tan. I imagined it was like looking through the dry, mottled skin of some desert creature, maybe a horned toad.
Fiction book (1994) -
The corner of her eye caught a flicker that sent her flipping backwards in a maneuver she never could have made while practicing, and the space she'd just been in was overrun by another of the giant horned toads.
Fiction book (2002) -
That's a Japanese horned toad!
Fiction book (2001) -
They look like horned toads, but they're nasty as Cape buffalo.
Fiction book (2002) -
The horned toad is known for its ability to squirt blood from its eyes to deter predators.
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A horned toad blends into the desert environment with its spiny body and camouflage.
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Many children are fascinated by the horned toad's unique appearance and behavior.
Synonyms
2
7.5
A small spiny lizard with short horns on its head found in western North America
1
8.0
A small spiky lizard with horns and a flat body from dry areas in the southwestern United States
1
9.9
A small lizard with spines on its head and rough scales that eats insects
1
9.9
A small, round lizard with a short body and spines from North and Central America
A spiny horned lizard that lives in dry parts of Texas and nearby states
Surface Forms
Morphology
The parts 'horned' (having horns) and 'toad' (an amphibian) combine to give a clear literal image—learners will plausibly infer a horned amphibian-like creature. However, the established referent is actually a horned lizard (not a true toad), so the composition is only partially accurate and can mislead; the meaning is therefore partially but not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Horned toad comes from how the animal looks: it has little hornlike spikes on its head and a flat, toad-like body, so horned and toad describe its shape. So the name refers to a spiky, toad-shaped 'lizard' rather than a real toad.