Main Entry:

ko·ala

Pronunciation:

\kə-ˈwä-lə, kō-ˈä-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) gula, gulawanʸ

Date:

1803

: an Australian arboreal marsupial (Phascolarctos cinereus) that has a broad head, large hairy ears, dense gray fur, and sharp claws and feeds on eucalyptus leaves —called also koala bear

[koala illustration]