kangaroo
Americannoun
plural
kangaroos,plural
kangaroonoun
-
any large herbivorous marsupial of the genus Macropus and related genera, of Australia and New Guinea, having large powerful hind legs, used for leaping, and a long thick tail: family Macropodidae See also rat kangaroo tree kangaroo
-
(usually plural) stock exchange an Australian share, esp in mining, land, or a tobacco company
verb
Other Word Forms
- kangaroo-like adjective
- kangaroolike adjective
Etymology
Origin of kangaroo
First recorded in 1760–70; from Guugu Yimidhirr (an Australian Aboriginal language spoken around Cooktown, northern Queensland) gaŋ-urru, a large black or gray species of kangaroo
Compare meaning
How does kangaroo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The head and raised arms of a doll stick out of the left side of the hoodie’s kangaroo pocket.
He had shorter arms, like a kangaroo, but not as tiny as a T. rex.
From Literature
"I hate losing, so that's my motivation," said Alcaraz, who plans to have a tattoo of a kangaroo to mark his achievement.
From Barron's
Australian Jay Vine won the Tour Down Under - despite being knocked off his bike in a crash caused by a kangaroo.
From BBC
New research suggests that the giant ancestors of modern kangaroos may not have been as limited in their movement as once believed.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
