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

Search drone operators spotted the kangaroo. —Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026

Australian Gold Kangaroo The Perth Mint launched the Gold Nugget series in 1986, transitioning to a kangaroo design in 1990 and officially rebranding as the Australian Gold Kangaroo in 2008. —Sharon Wu, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026

Among plush kangaroos, dingoes and Tasmanian devils ready to be bought by parents of antsy children, a live brushtail possum waited in a gift shop at an Australian airport this week. —Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026

In May 2023, residents in the central city of Erfurt were jolted by the sight of a kangaroo hopping across a busy road after escaping from a private property. —CBS News, 14 Mar. 2026

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