toadship en · NOUN
Etymology
From toad + -ship.
Meanings
-
(humorous) A term of address for a toad.
The toad, which is an efficient bug hunter in the garden, is said by the Ohio Farmer to eat honey bees with an equal relish, and bee keepers are advised to arrange the lighting boards of the hives in such a manner as not to be accessible to his toadship.
1870, The New England Farmer, volume 4, page 483:[H]e had, in fact, happened to discover his toadship just in the act of making his annual toilet. The old skin wrinkled up more and more, till it was completely divided into two halves; the toad pulled out first one foot, then another, just as a boy pulls his arm out of a jacket, until at last the feat was accomplished.
1870, Our Monthly, volume 2, page 295:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| toadships | Number=Plur | lexicographic |