Where does “toadpole” come from?

toadpole (English) comes from English toad, from Middle English tode, from Old English tāde, from Old English tādie — toad.

toadpole (English): A young toad in its larval stage of development that lives in water, has a tail and no legs, and, like a fish, breathes through gills

Definitions

  1. A young toad in its larval stage of development that lives in water, has a tail and no legs, and, like a fish, breathes through gills

Ancestry of “toadpole”, step by step

toadpole traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English toad

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoadAn amphibian, a kind of frog with shorter...
2Middle EnglishtodeA toad; The toad seen as a foul, devilish, and...
3Old Englishtāde
4Old Englishtādietoad

via English tadpole

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtadpoleA young toad or frog in its larval stage of...
2Middle Englishtadpolle
Every word from Old English tādieEvery word from Old English tādeEvery word from Middle English tode
toadpole — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer