A children's game where players vault over others' backs, or to advance quickly by skipping intermediate steps or stages.
Compound word from 'leap' (Old English hleapan) and 'frog,' first recorded in the 1590s referring to the children's game. The metaphorical sense of bypassing stages developed in the 20th century, inspired by the jumping motion that characterizes the game.
Leapfrogging has become a crucial concept in economic development, where developing nations skip older technologies entirely—like going straight to mobile phones without building landline infrastructure. This mirrors the game itself, where success comes from jumping over obstacles rather than pushing through them sequentially.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.