Definition of TOADEATER

toadeater

Plural: toadeaters

Noun

  • A fawning, obsequious parasite; a mean sycophant or flatterer.

Origin / Etymology

From toad + eater, said to allude to an old alleged practice among mountebanks, who would hire a boy to eat (or pretend to eat) toads, which many had considered poisonous. The toadeater (or "toady") would pretend to writhe in pain, until the quack gave him some "medicine" and pretended that the boy was cured. Compare toady.

Scrabble Score: 10

toadeater: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
toadeater: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
toadeater: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

toadeater: valid Words With Friends Word