wallaby

noun

wal·​la·​by ˈwä-lə-bē 

plural wallabies also wallaby

: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos (especially genus Notamacropus) compare rock wallaby

Illustration of wallaby

Examples of wallaby in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Cudahy, for example, a woman who owns a pet wallaby had to move him out of the city after learning her local ordinances didn't allow it, even though Wisconsin law does. —Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 30 Oct. 2025

Eight miles from South Australia, Kangaroo Island is a nature haven with abundant wildlife, including kangaroos, sea lions, koalas, wallabies and echidnas. —Jennifer Kester, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025

The Queensland government protected the land, and now, over 1,000 miles away, 14 new wallabies have been recorded in Mallee Cliffs National Park. —Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 5 Sep. 2025

Humans translocated forest wallabies from New Guinea–Australia to the islands of Southeast Asia at least 12,800 years ago. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

circa 1798, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing wallaby

• rock wallaby

Kids Definition

wallaby

noun

wal·​la·​by ˈwäl-ə-bē 

plural wallabies also wallaby

: any of various small or medium-sized kangaroos