kangaroo

noun

kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü How to pronounce kangaroo (audio)
plural kangaroos
: any of various herbivorous leaping marsupial mammals (family Macropodidae) of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands with a small head, large ears, long powerful hind legs, a long thick tail used as a support and in balancing, and rather small forelegs not used in locomotion

Illustration of kangaroo

Illustration of kangaroo

Examples of kangaroo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The light green sweatshirt has kangaroo pockets and thumbholes in the sleeves to keep it in place. Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 With 20 colors and a convenient kangaroo pocket on the top, this is great for lounging or running errands. Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 29 Oct. 2024 Meanwhile, Brittany wore a kangaroo onesie and light brown winter boots. Raven Brunner, People.com, 2 Nov. 2024 Most testers comfortably buckled a backpack over the streamlined kangaroo pouch, but some mentioned that the bulky side pocket zippers could rub beneath the straps. Kelly Bastone, Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for kangaroo 

Word History

Etymology

Guugu Yimidhirr (Australian aboriginal language of northern Queensland) gaŋurru

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kangaroo was in 1770

Dictionary Entries Near kangaroo

Cite this Entry

“Kangaroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kangaroo. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

kangaroo

noun
kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü How to pronounce kangaroo (audio)
plural kangaroos
: any of numerous leaping marsupial mammals of Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands that feed on plants and have a small head, long powerful hind legs, a long thick tail used as a support in standing or walking, and in the female a pouch on the abdomen in which the young are carried

More from Merriam-Webster on kangaroo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!