Illustration of kangaroo
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
Examples of kangaroo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
With a classic look, it’s made of ultra-soft diagonal French terry and has a kangaroo pocket.
—
Joseph Cheatham, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023
An Australian man wrestled with a kangaroo to save his dog.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023
There was so much fecal matter in one kangaroo enclosure that inspection officials said the kangaroo could not sit, lay down or stand without touching it.
—Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023
The kangaroo immediately retaliates, knocking Moloney's phone into the murky water.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 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
Surfing, fishing, roasting marshmallows and wrestling kangaroos.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 1 Oct. 2023
Raw kangaroo has a deeper and sometimes gamier flavor than beef, and David Santos, the executive chef, takes advantage of that by incorporating a complex spice blend inspired by Ethiopia into the purplish meat and serving it with a smoky, black purée of charred eggplant.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
Archeological evidence indicates that the extinction of species like mammoths, giant kangaroos and other megafauna as a result of human expansion more than 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, led to an increase in wildfires.
—Curtis Abraham, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2023
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Joseph Cheatham, Travel + Leisure, 21 Nov. 2023
An Australian man wrestled with a kangaroo to save his dog.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023
There was so much fecal matter in one kangaroo enclosure that inspection officials said the kangaroo could not sit, lay down or stand without touching it.
—Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2023
The kangaroo immediately retaliates, knocking Moloney's phone into the murky water.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 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
Surfing, fishing, roasting marshmallows and wrestling kangaroos.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 1 Oct. 2023
Raw kangaroo has a deeper and sometimes gamier flavor than beef, and David Santos, the executive chef, takes advantage of that by incorporating a complex spice blend inspired by Ethiopia into the purplish meat and serving it with a smoky, black purée of charred eggplant.
—Pete Wells, New York Times, 19 Sep. 2023
Archeological evidence indicates that the extinction of species like mammoths, giant kangaroos and other megafauna as a result of human expansion more than 10,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, led to an increase in wildfires.
—Curtis Abraham, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kangaroo.' 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
Guugu Yimidhirr (Australian aboriginal language of northern Queensland) gaŋurru
First Known Use
1770, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing kangaroo
Dictionary Entries Near kangaroo
Cite this Entry
“Kangaroo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kangaroo. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
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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
More from Merriam-Webster on kangaroo
Nglish: Translation of kangaroo for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kangaroo
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