polliwog

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From earlier polwigge, from Middle English polwygle, equal to poll (head) +‎ wiggle.[1]

Noun[edit]

polliwog (plural polliwogs)

  1. (US, dialectal) A tadpole.
    • 1897, L. Frank Baum, “The Story of Tommy Tucker”, in Mother Goose in Prose:
      So Tommy sang the following verse: “The cold got worse, The frog got hoarse, Till croaking he scared a polliwog!”

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