poison dart frog

noun

: any of several small brightly colored frogs (family Dendrobatidae) of tropical Central and South America that produce poisonous secretions sometimes used by native peoples to poison dart or arrow tips

called also poison arrow frog

Examples of poison dart frog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Youngsters can be as tiny as a tadpole born from a poison dart frog. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 4 Aug. 2024 During another excursion—a hike and kayak trip into Portobelo National Park—my guide, Jason Ashcroft of Portobelo Adventures, shuffles a patch of leaves to reveal a green poison dart frog, and guides me to an island abloom with wild orchids. Terry Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2023 That’s the case for the poison dart frog of South America: a colorful killer that releases poison through its skin and is considered one of Earth's most toxic creatures. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2023 Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland were curious if the dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) had cannibalistic behavior. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2022 One famous example is the poison dart frog, which releases a harmful chemical that could kill a human within minutes, according to Miller. Carina Woudenberg, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2022 The title of most poisonous animal on Earth is typically given to the beautiful and deadly golden poison dart frog of Columbia—the one-inch-long frog is sometimes drenched in enough poison to kill ten grown men. Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2020 That may be why blue poison dart frog dads are so devoted to them—although their version of TLC may strike us as eww. National Geographic, 14 June 2019 Blue poison dart frog males go to lengths to keep their offspring alive. National Geographic, 14 June 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poison dart frog was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near poison dart frog

Cite this Entry

“Poison dart frog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poison%20dart%20frog. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on poison dart frog

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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