Toadstone
/ˈtəʊd.stəʊn/noun
A fossilized tooth or other stone once believed to come from a toad and to possess protective or medicinal powers.
Did you know?Medieval and Renaissance lapidaries claimed that a toadstone would sweat, grow cloudy, or change color near poison, so it was often mounted in magical rings; the objects were usually fossil fish teeth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steyh₂-
“To stand or become firm; the ancient root associated with the stone element.”
Old English
Old English
stān
“Stone, rock, or a hard mineral substance.”
Old English
Old English
tādige / tāde
“Toad; a frog-like amphibian, from an uncertain Germanic source.”
Middle English
Middle English
tadstone
“A supposed stone from a toad, credited with medicinal and protective virtues.”
14th–16th Century
English
toadstone
“A fossil, especially a fossilized fish tooth, interpreted through folklore as a toad-produced charm.”
Modern English
English
toadstone
“A fossil tooth or mineral formerly regarded as a magical antidote or protective amulet.”