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

In kangaroo families, both the mother and the older, at-foot joey remain in constant contact with the newborn. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

There are kangaroo paws, California lilac, white rockrose, coastal rosemary and mat rushes. —Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025

The trial was a kangaroo circus packed with sophism, subterfuge, and courtroom chicanery. —Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 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

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

Rhymes for kangaroo

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue

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