tadpole

Everyday

1. A tadpole is a young frog or toad that has just hatched from an egg; it lives in water, has a tail and breathes with gills. tree →
2. Informally, a tadpole can mean a very small child. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the frog life cycle is: frogspawn (eggs) → tadpole → froglet → adult frog. Tadpoles slowly grow back legs, then front legs, lose their tails and grow lungs; this change is called metamorphosis. Pond-dipping lessons often look for tadpoles. Phrases: from tadpole to frog.

Examples

• We saw tadpoles swimming in the pond. tree →
• A tadpole turns into a frog. tree →
• Tadpoles breathe with gills. tree →
• The tadpole grew back legs first. tree →
• Frogspawn hatches into tadpoles. tree →
• We kept tadpoles in a tank at school and let them go as frogs. tree →
• Tadpoles eat tiny plants in the water. tree →
• The tadpole's tail slowly disappeared. tree →
• Brer Possum, he got his belly full er 'simmons, en Brer Coon, he scoop up a 'bunnunce er frogs en tadpoles. tree →

Note

Countable. Also called a polliwog in some parts of the USA. A tadpole is not a fish, even though it lives in water and has a tail. Metamorphosis means a big change in body shape.