Toadlike

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having the appearance, shape or unattractive qualities of a toad
2. Looking or behaving like a toad, often in a squat, warty or repellent way
3. Resembling the amphibian toad in form, texture or general character

Etymology: Toadlike is a plain compound: the noun "toad" with the suffix "-like", meaning "having the appearance or qualities of." The suffix has a long lineage of its own. It descends from Proto-Germanic "līkaz," meaning "body" or "form," a sense that survives in the Old English "-līc" and gave Middle English "-like" and eventually the modern English "-like." Its root is also connected to the word "like" in its sense of resemblance, so the suffix and the adjective share a single ancestor. The base word "toad" is much older than the suffix attached to it in this case. It is an inherited English word, and the suffix was simply added to it in English to produce a new adjective describing things that look or behave like toads. The combination is transparent enough that the word needed no special coinage, which is why it reads so directly today.