batrachian

English

Etymology

From New Latin Batrachia, former name of the zoological order Anura, from Ancient Greek βατράχεια (batrákheia), neuter plural of adjective from βάτραχος (bátrakhos, “frog”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bəˈtɹeɪkɪən/

Noun

batrachian (plural batrachians)

1. (rare) A frog or toad.
   • 1976, Kyril Bonfiglioli, Something Nasty in the Woodshed, Penguin, published 2001, page 421:

     The warmth of his defence of the toad led me to suspect uneasily that a close search of his quarters would pretty certainly reveal a comfortable vivarium somewhere, bursting with the little batrachians.

Adjective

batrachian (comparative more batrachian, superlative most batrachian)

1. Pertaining to or resembling a frog or toad.
   • 1905, Eugene Field, Songs And Other Verses:

     Anon the minnow-bucket will emit '"batrachian"' sobs.

   • 1939, Henry Miller, Tropic of Capricorn, Grove Press, published 1962, page 31:

     At this Lena smiled again with that mirthless batrachian grin.

   • 1965, John Fowles, The Magus:

     His batrachian lips pursed into a smile, and he dug again into the honey.

   • 2000 The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, "The Innsmouth Look"

     I dig her batrachian lips / Her bulbous eyes and scaly hips

Synonyms

• anuran

Hypernyms

• lissamphibian

Hyponyms

• salientian

See also

• froggish
• froggy
• froglike
• frogly
• ranine
• toadish
• toadlike
• toadly