kangaroo

noun

kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü 

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

Examples of kangaroo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The cotton hoodie includes a classic kangaroo pocket and a drawstring hood. —Mikelle Street, WWD, 11 Feb. 2025

The high neck keeps drafts out, the kangaroo pocket protects valuables, the thumbholes provide extra hand warmth, and the zipper pull can be used as a ponytail holder. —Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2025

And the country's iconic animals – koalas, wombats and kangaroos – are all marsupials. —New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025

While the eastern grey kangaroos used in this trial are not endangered, many of Australia’s marsupial species are, including koalas and Tasmanian devils. —Eric Cheung, CNN, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Guugu Yimidhirr (Australian aboriginal language of northern Queensland) gaŋurru

First Known Use

1770, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kangaroo

• kangaroo court
• kangaroo rat
• red kangaroo

Kids Definition

kangaroo

noun

kan·​ga·​roo ˌkaŋ-gə-ˈrü 

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