frogman

noun

frog·​man ˈfrȯg-ˌman How to pronounce frogman (audio)
ˈfräg-,
-mən
: a person equipped (as with face mask, flippers, and air supply) for extended periods of underwater swimming
especially : a person so equipped for military reconnaissance and demolition

Examples of frogman 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.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Panerai became an official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy, and by 1935, the Regia Marina put out a call for a model that could withstand the extreme conditions endured by its frogman commandos. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 14 July 2024 During the Korean War, a Black frogman, Fred Morrison, was part of missions that including helping rescue five Marines on a beach under heavy gunfire. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 21 June 2024 Eventually, he was accepted in a training program for the Navy’s underwater demolition team, then known as frogmen, whose missions in World War II included valuable reconnaissance of Normandy beaches and German defenses before the D-Day landings in 1944. Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 21 June 2024 After watching a film about Navy frogmen during his junior year in high school, Goines was determined to become a sailor. Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 20 June 2024 Intrigue has always been integral to the Cup’s culture, with spy teams—including long-lens photographers, surveillance equipment, even frogmen trying to discover hull-design enigmas beneath the surface—looking to expose their rivals’ secrets. George Allen, Robb Report, 16 Dec. 2023 For the first three landings, no sooner had the crewmen opened their hatch after splashdown than frogmen handed them biohazard suits to wear for their trip back to the Naval recovery ship. Time, 2 Mar. 2020 The frogman resurfaced in 2016, more than 40 years after the last sighting. Scott Wartman, Cincinnati.com, 11 Feb. 2020 Hatleberg was one of four frogmen on the recovery team who jumped into the ocean from a helicopter. Washington Post, 15 July 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frogman was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near frogman

Cite this Entry

“Frogman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frogman. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

frogman

noun
frog·​man -ˌman How to pronounce frogman (audio)
-mən
: a swimmer equipped to work underwater for long periods of time

More from Merriam-Webster on frogman

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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