wood frog

noun

: a common North American frog (Rana sylvatica) that inhabits chiefly moist woodlands and is dark brown, yellowish-brown, or pink with a black stripe on each side of the head

Examples of wood frog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Unlike most animals, which would suffer fatal damage from ice crystals, the wood frog has evolved specialized mechanisms to withstand and even thrive in such extreme conditions. Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 During freezing, the wood frog's body temperature drops to match that of its environment, often reaching well below the freezing point of water. Scott Travers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 Tessier has studied North American wood frogs that are able to freeze without dying and bears that hibernate for the winter. Deborah Balthazar, STAT, 22 July 2024 Barnes’ lab tests, performed on Alaska wood frogs, showed the same thing: 10 degrees is just too cold for a wood frog. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Jan. 2023 As a wood frog’s body freezes, its liver converts glycogen to sugary glucose. Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Jan. 2023 Wisconsin has eleven species of frogs: American bullfrog, Blanchard's cricket frog, boreal chorus frog, Cope's gray treefrog, gray treefrog, green frog, mink frog, northern leopard frog, pickerel frog, spring peeper and wood frog; as well as one toad, the American toad. Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 31 Mar. 2021 A false spring—climate change threatens wood frog offspring. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Aug. 2022 According to Calsbeek, the frog chorus has a major influence over whether or not a male wood frog finds a mate. Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 19 May 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wood frog was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near wood frog

Cite this Entry

“Wood frog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wood%20frog. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

wood frog

noun
: a common North American frog that is found mostly in moist woodlands and is dark brown, yellowish brown, or pink with a black stripe on each side of the head

More from Merriam-Webster on wood frog

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!