wallaby

noun

wal·​la·​by ˈwä-lə-bē How to pronounce wallaby (audio)
plural wallabies also wallaby
: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos (especially genus Macropus) compare rock wallaby

Illustration of wallaby

Illustration of wallaby

Examples of wallaby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The photo carousel also includes pictures of the dancers posing with wombats and wallabies. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 My sister would eventually be vindicated when the existence of wild wallabies in the UK was confirmed and even captured on film. Chris Wheatley, Longreads, 18 Jan. 2024 Ethnographic reports say Aboriginal Australians have used clubs, throwing sticks, and boomerangs against animals such as kangaroos and wallabies. Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023 Eric Mogensen’s daughter, Meghan, the former director of that zoo, was found guilty of drowning a wallaby in 2012. Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2023 Wildlife was plentiful — giant saltwater crocodiles, wallabies, dingoes, wild boar, and some 280 bird species live here. Drew Kluska, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 2023 The hope is that this will be enough to keep rabbits, pigs and wallabies out, all of which chew on the reserve’s plant life and slow vegetation recovery. Rina Diane Caballar, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2023 Get up close and personal with Australia's unique wildlife on Kangaroo Island's nature reserve and see koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, fur seals, penguins, and kookaburras. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Oct. 2023 White or pale yellow creatures—like the polar bear, southern marsupial mole and albino wallaby—glowed the most. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wallaby.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Dharuk (Australian aboriginal language of the Port Jackson area) walabi, waliba

First Known Use

circa 1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wallaby was circa 1798

Dictionary Entries Near wallaby

Cite this Entry

“Wallaby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wallaby. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wallaby

noun
wal·​la·​by ˈwäl-ə-bē How to pronounce wallaby (audio)
plural wallabies also wallaby
: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos

More from Merriam-Webster on wallaby

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